40 years on a pillar - Simeon the Stylite

It may sound strange to most, and highly improbable to many, that someone may be able to live on a tiny platform at the top of a pillar for most of his life – and willingly moreover!

That’s what a young Turkish boy did, however…

Son of Shepherd, born in 390, Simeon quickly picked great interest in Christianity, and at an early age, started an extreme form of asceticism and austerity, eating close to nothing. Among other facts that brought him his unwanted notoriety was his shutting himself up without any food for the all period of Lent – which is a mere 40 days. Or having himself tided up by a chain to the nearby mountain. Or confining himself in a narrow rocky space in the desert.

But fame grew and pilgrim started to come to see or seek advice, which forced him to find a different escape. Vertically this time. He then resolved to stay on a 2.5m high pillar with a small platform at the top, with only a piece of bread and some goat milk brought by villagers. This is how he gained his current name: the Stylite (Style in Greek means pillar)

This brought attention to even more people, forcing him to often change to ever higher pillar – the last one is believed to be 15m in height – and ever narrower platform – ending with just 1 m2. This last one was so narrow that it was impossible to lay down and he would spend most of his time upright or bent down.

He died September 2nd, 549.

Although there are few written accounts of his life that lasted up to today, the few remaining are considered genuine and it is generally agreed that Simeon did spend about 40 years of his life at the top of a pillar with little to no food and not enough space to sleep, for the glory of God.

He even appears in the 2010 edition of the Guiness book.

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