Zeno

ON SAINT ZENO, MONK, NEAR ANTIOCH IN SYRIA.

AROUND THE YEAR 419.

Zeno, monk, near Antioch (Saint)

By J. B.

[1] The Greeks celebrate the feast of the most holy anchorite Zeno on February 10, as is evident from their Menaia and from the Life of the Saints by Maximus of Cythera. Yet again on March 3, mention is made of ^a Zeno, the feast day of Saint Zeno, whom our Raderus, in his manuscript Notes on the Menaia, suspects to be the same person. For the Menaia have: On the same day, Saints Zeno and Zoilus pass away in peace. He considers this to be understood of our Zeno, yet without offering any argument for his opinion. There were also other Zenos, concerning whom we treat elsewhere, and specifically on December 26 concerning Zeno, Bishop of Maiuma, whom Laurence Barreus confused with our Zeno in ^a marginal note on Theodoret's Philotheus, as we shall say below.

[2] The homeland of Saint Zeno, of whom we speak here, was Pontus, according to Theodoret. But the Menaia state: He was by birth from Caesarea, his homeland, the one situated in Cappadocia. Whether this should be understood of that famous Caesarea which Ptolemy also calls Mazaca, or Caesarea? or of Neocaesarea, may be debated — and even more, whether either of them was truly his homeland. For it seems clear that he was not born in that Caesarea over which Basil presided as Bishop; for Theodoret writes: For this man, having left behind very great wealth in his homeland (which was Pontus), was nourished, as he himself related, by the streams of Basil the Great, who dwelt in the neighborhood and was irrigating the province of Cappadocia. How, if he had been born in the very city that Basil governed, did he leave his homeland and his wealth in order to hear Basil dwelling in the neighborhood? He seems rather to have come from Pontus Polemoniacus, which was near the Prefecture of Cilicia in which Caesarea lay, than from Pontus of Bithynia, which was far distant from Caesarea. There is indeed in Pontus Polemoniacus the city of Neocaesarea, which perhaps the author of the Menaia believed to have been his homeland.

[3] Theodoret explicitly sets forth his chronology when he says that upon the death of Valens he laid aside the military belt, his era, and then spent forty years in monastic exercise. Now Valens perished on August 9, 378; whence it follows that Zeno died in the year 419 or perhaps 420, if indeed on February 10. Since Alexander, Bishop of Antioch, survived him, it is clear that those who maintain that Alexander was made Bishop in 408 and died in 411 are mistaken. For, as we said on January 8 in the Life of Saint Atticus, section 6, number 33, from Theodoret's Ecclesiastical History, book 5, chapter 35, at that same time Cyril was Bishop of Alexandria, the son of Theophilus's brother, successor to his uncle in the See; John, ^a man worthy of praise, who had succeeded Cyril, presided over the Church of Jerusalem; and Alexander, whose manner of life was befitting the episcopate, was shepherding the people of Antioch. But Theophilus died on October 13 in the consulship of Honorius IX and Theodosius V, that is, in the year of Christ 412, succumbing to ^a wasting disease, and three days later Cyril was appointed in his place, as we stated on January 28 in the Life of Cyril, section 3, number 17, from Socrates, book 7, chapter 7. Therefore Alexander, who held the see of Antioch while Cyril sat at Alexandria, had not died by the year 411; rather he lived still longer, as is clear here from the chronology of Saint Zeno, and as we have argued more fully in the Life of Saint Atticus.

[4] Theodoret described the Life of Saint Zeno in chapter 12 of his Philotheus, of which the Menaia provide ^a summary on this day, as does Maximus of Cythera. The same Theodoret mentions him in book 4 of his Ecclesiastical History, his Life, chapter 25, the words of which we have given on February 9 in the Life of Saint Romanus the Wonderworker; likewise Nicephorus Callistus in book 11 of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 41.

LIFE

by Theodoret, Bishop; Philotheus, chapter 12.

Zeno, monk, near Antioch (Saint)

By Theodoret the Bishop.

[1] Not many know the admirable Zeno; but those who do know him Saint Zeno, ^a disciple of Saint Basil, cannot praise him as he deserves. For having left behind very great wealth in his homeland — that is, in Pontus — he was nourished, as he himself related, by the streams of Basil the Great, who dwelt in the neighborhood and was irrigating the province of Cappadocia, and he bore fruits worthy of that irrigation. having left the military, For as soon as Valens departed this life, he laid aside the military belt; he had been in the ranks of those who swiftly carry the Emperor's dispatches.

[2] Withdrawing from the palace into ^a certain tomb (of which sort there are very many on the mountain near Antioch), he dwelt there alone, he dwells in ^a tomb, purifying his soul and cleansing its vision, devoting himself to divine contemplation, disposing the ascents of God in his heart, longing for wings like ^a dove, without furnishings, and desiring to fly away to divine rest. For this reason he had no bed, no lamp, no hearth, no pot, no oil flask, no chest, no book, nor anything else; but he was clothed in old rags, wretchedly clothed, and likewise in shoes that, because the soles were worn through, needed cords to hold them together. He received his necessary sustenance from one of his acquaintances: living on bread and water, namely, ^a single loaf of bread allotted for every two days. He fetched water from far away himself. When someone who had seen him burdened under the load asked to be allowed to help carry it, he at first refused, saying that he could not accept water which he fetched from afar himself that another had carried. But when he perceived that he was not persuading the man, he handed over the jars — for he was carrying two, one in each hand. Yet when he had reached the door of his hut, he poured out the water and scattered it, and ran again to the spring, confirming by his deed what he had said.

[3] I myself also, when I first ascended the mountain out of desire to see him, he is visited by Theodoret, saw him holding the jars in his hands. Then, when I inquired where the dwelling of the admirable Zeno might be, he said that he knew no monk called by that name. Whereupon, conjecturing from the modesty of his words that it was he himself, I followed him; and entering within the door, recognized through his humility, I saw ^a bed composed of hay, and ^a certain mat spread over stones, so that those who sat there might suffer no discomfort. After many conversations between us on the subject of philosophy (for I was asking questions, and he was explaining what I asked), when it was time to return home, I begged him to give me the provisions of ^a blessing for the journey. after ^a humble excuse, he blesses him. But he resisted, saying it was fitting that we should offer the prayers; calling himself an idiotes — that is, ^a private person or an unlearned man — and calling us Soldiers. For at that time I was reading the sacred books to the people of God. When we pointed to our youth and immature age, since the first down was scarcely growing on our cheeks, and swore that we would by no means come again if we were compelled to do this now, he was at length, with difficulty, bent by our entreaties; and he did indeed offer ^a prayer to God, but made ^a long apology for the prayer itself, saying that he had done it for the sake of charity and obedience — for we drew near and heard him praying.

[4] That having reached so great ^a summit of philosophy, forty years ^a monk, this aged man, who had spent forty continuous years in monastic exercise, still retained so great ^a moderation of spirit — who can sufficiently admire it, or offer praises equal to his greatness? And yet, having attained such riches of virtue, he attends worship and the sermon with the people on Sundays, as if laboring in extreme poverty, he came on Sundays to the divine church with the people, and listened to the sacred sermons, and gave ear to the preachers, and having partaken of the mystic table, he returned to that strange dwelling of his, having no key, no bar, leaving no guard behind; for it was inaccessible to thieves and entirely safe from plunder, since apart from that mat it contained nothing. Receiving one book at ^a time from his companions, he would read it through completely; and having returned it, he would receive another.

[5] But although he had no bolts and used no bars, he was guarded by grace from above — as indeed we clearly perceived by experience itself. For at the time when the citadel was captured at night by ^a band of Isaurians, he is defended against the Isaurians, and they then at dawn advanced to the very foot of the mountain and savagely slaughtered very many men and women living the monastic life, this divine man, watching the slaughter of the others, by divine power they are struck blind by his prayer cast darkness over their eyes, so that as they passed by his door they did not perceive the entrance at all. Moreover, as he related, calling upon the Truth as witness, and driven away by Angels, he also clearly saw three youths who routed that entire horde — God openly demonstrating His particular grace.

[6] What manner of life, therefore, that holy man led, and what divine grace he enjoyed, these things can amply demonstrate; yet this also seems worth adding. He was greatly troubled and tormented that his possessions remained intact and had not been sold and distributed according to the Law of the Gospel. The reason for this had been he defers the distribution of his goods to the poor on account of ^a just cause; the immaturity of his brothers' age. For since the possessions and money were held in common, he neither wished to return to his homeland for the purpose of making ^a division, nor did he dare to sell his share of the property to another, lest if the brothers were treated more avariciously by the buyers, the blame should rebound upon himself. Turning these matters over in his mind, he long deferred the sale. Afterward, when he had sold everything to one of his acquaintances, he then attends to it himself, he distributed ^a large part himself; but the onset of illness forced him to deliberate about the rest. Having therefore summoned the Bishop of the city (who was the great Alexander, and through the Bishop of Antioch, the splendor of religion, the model of virtue, the perfect image of philosophy), he said: Come hither, O head reverend to me; be also the best steward of these moneys, distributing them according to the will of God, as one who must render account to that Judge. For I have previously dispensed other funds with my own hand, as seemed best, and I desired to dispense the remainder likewise. But since I am bidden to depart this life, I appoint you as their steward, who are both ^a Pontiff and one who lives ^a life worthy of the pontificate. He therefore handed over the moneys as to ^a divine Treasurer; he dies blessedly. and he himself, not long afterward surviving, departed the arena like some Olympic victor, bearing away praises not from men only, but from Angels as well.

And I, beseeching that he too may be my intercessor before God, invoked by Theodoret, shall now turn to the next narrative.