ON SAINT ILLYRIUS THE WONDERWORKER,
ON MOUNT MYRSINON IN THE PELOPONNESE.
CommentaryIllyrius the Wonderworker, on Mount Myrsinon in the Peloponnese (Saint)
G. H.
The Parisian manuscript Synaxary of the Clermont college concludes this day with these words: Καὶ τοῦ ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἠληρίου τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ. Saint Illyrius the Wonderworker "And of our holy Father Elerius the Wonderworker." In the Ambrosian MS, marked with the letter "o" and number 148, he is called Ἠλύριος Elyrius. In the Menaia and in Maximus of Cythera, these things are found: Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰλλυριοῦ, τοῦ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῦ Μυρσινωνᾶ, "On the same day of our holy Father Illyrius, who rested in peace on Mount Myrsinon," he lived on Mount Myrsinon as those final words are read in the Chifletian manuscript Synaxary. In the Menaia these verses are added:
Ἐκ Μυρσινῶνος Ἰλλυριὸς πρὸς πόλον Οὐχ ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐξ Ἐλαιῶνος φέρῃ;
As Christ once from the Mount of Olives sought the heavens, Does not Illyrius also from Myrsinon seek them?
For the Greeks, Μυρσίνη is the myrtle: hence the myrtle mount is compared with the Mount of Olives. Elis is a province of the Peloponnese opposite the island of Zacynthus, and in it is the city of Elis on the river Peleus; but, as Strabo attests in book 8 of the Geography, Myrsinus, now called Myrtuntium, belonging to the sea, on the road which leads from Elis to Dyme, is distant 70 stadia from the city of Elis. The same Myrsinus Stephanus of Byzantium, in his work on cities, calls a city of Elis. Why not then there Mount Myrsinon, in the Peloponnese? where Saint Illyrius lived either as an anchorite, or even as Hegumen of a monastery built there; called the Wonderworker on account of miracles performed in his lifetime and after his death? More concerning him we would gladly learn.