Simeon’s feet were bound in place, so he couldn’t shift positions, which strained his bones and sinew to the point where they bulged from beneath his skin. He became so popular that at one time, most shops in Rome had little portraits of him sitting on the pillars of their doorways. Simeon crouched on a 46-centimeter-wide (18 in) slab atop that pillar for at least 37 years. He chose the latter option, and he soon had throngs of fans coming to see him attempt to live in his chosen way. His fellow monks became concerned and asked him to abandon either the idea or the monastery.
Simeon felt it was his calling to do these acts . . . while also living in isolation atop an 18-meter (60 ft) column, completely exposed to the elements. In his time, the usual practices for an ascetic included fasting, self-harm, and solitary confinement in tiny spaces. Photo credit: William Edward Frank Brittenįifth-century Syrian saint Simeon Stylites was the first famous “Stylite,” or pillar-dweller.
