Description
Simeon Stylites was a 6th century Syrian saint who became known for his ascetic lifestyle. His most famous act was living on top of a pillar for 30 years. To keep from falling, he tied a rope around his leg, which gradually sank into the flesh. The sore stank and teemed with pus and worms, but Simeon refused to remove the rope. Instead, he would pick up the maggots that fell out and push them back into the wound, saying “Eat what God has given you.”
Simeon became a famous sight in Syria and people came from miles around to hear him preach from atop his pillar. Once a day, his disciples would climb up a ladder to deliver food and remove his waste bucket and living on a pillar actually became quite a trend among Christian holy men.