The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Eustratius of Constantinople, Life of Eutychios (CPG 7520, BHG 657)

Summary:

1-61 Prologue
Eustratios expresses his unworthiness for the composition of the Life; he puts his trust in God, so that his shortcomings are no obstacle for his task.

62-264 Birth, early life and education
Eutychios is born in Phrygia, in the village of Theiou Kome (‘village of the divine one’). Eustratios asserts that the holiness of Eutychios is revealed already by the name of that village. Later in life, after his accession to the patriarchate, Eutychios would repay the village by establishing a church of the *Forty Martyrs [of Sebaste, S00103] in it. He is the son of orthodox parents; already his grandfather has been a priest and is very important for his upbringing and in acquainting him with Christian virtues. Eutychios’ father is Alexander, a member of the staff of Belisarius.

265-423 Move to Constantinople and priesthood
Aged twelve, he moves to Constantinople for study, and afterwards wants to become a monk. However, the metropolitan bishop of Amasea encourages him to strive for the bishopric of Zalichenoi; hence, he receives his first spiritual graces and is afterwards consecrated priest when thirty-years-old.

424-513 Monastic life at Amasea
Someone else having been made bishop of Zalichenoi, Eutychios enters a monastery in Amasea; he lives there for ten years and becomes its archimandrite.

514-911 Election to the patriarchate, and the Fifth Ecumenical Council
Eutychios is sent to Constantinople for the council, in place of the bishop of Amasea; he has a vision that he will become patriarch. He impresses many clerics and Justinian with his religious knowledge; in a vision, *Peter, the Prince of the Apostles himself (S00036), tells Justinian that Eutychios should become the successor to patriarch Menas (see E08515). Eutychius is indeed appointed patriarch and soon afterwards presides over the Fifth Ecumenical Council. He achieves harmony throughout the Church and that all the patriarchs act unanimously under his leadership; all heresies are condemned.

912-1201 Deposition and exile
After twelve peaceful years, Justinian is deceived by evil men and prompted to support the heresy of Aphthartodocetism. Eutychios, resisting in vain the publication of an edict promoting this doctrine, is arrested by the ringleaders, deposed, and exiled to his old monastery in Amasea.

1202-1779 Miracles at Amasea [in the years 565-577]

1246-1300 The childless couple
All the children of a couple in Amasea have died soon after their birth; seeking for help, they go to Eutychios, who prays for them and anoints them both with holy oil. He then orders them to call the yet unborn child Peter and promises that it will live under this condition. This indeed happens, and soon afterwards, a second boy is born, too.

1246-1300 The childless couple
All the children of a couple in Amasea have died soon after their birth; seeking for help, they go to Eutychios, who prays for them and anoints them both with holy oil ‘from our holy and pure Lady, the Mother of God and ever-Virgin *Mary [Mother of Christ, S00033], which gushes forth from her holy icon at Sozopolis’ (τοῦ τῆς ἁγίας ἀχράντου δεσποίνης ἡμῶν θεοτόκου καὶ ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας, τοῦ βρύοντος έκ τῆς ἁγίας εἰκόνος αὐτῆς τῆς οὔσης ἐν Σωζοπόλει). He then orders them to call the yet unborn child Peter and promises that it will live under this condition. This indeed happens, and soon afterwards, a second boy is born, too.

1301-1317 The priest’s deaf son
A priest has a son who is deaf and mute; Eutychios prays for him and anoints him, the boy stays with him for three days, after which he is able to speak and hear.

1318-1330 The priest’s son who neither spoke nor ate
Another priest has a son who is refusing to speak and to eat. Receiving holy communion from Eutychios, he is cured.

1331-1376 The unweaned child
A child, who only takes food from his mother’s breast, is brought to Eutychios. He anoints it and gives him communion; already on the next day, the child consumes a little food; soon afterwards, it eats normally.

1377-1404 The dying child of the artisan
A child of an artisan is ill; his father comes with him to the monastery. Eutychios is very busy and unable to receive them. The father wants to give up and return home, but Eustratios makes him wait and finally fetches Eutychios, who prays for the child and anoints it. It is almost instantly healed and plays again happily only hours later.

1405-1427 The countrywoman’s son who was possessed by a demon
A countrywoman comes to the city with her small boy to do some business. Suddenly, the boy cannot stand any longer, since a demon is afflicting his feet. She brings him to Eutychios, who prays and anoints the feet. After that, he is able to walk again.

1428-1464 The girl who refused communion
A little girl is brought to Eutychios; she is unable to receive communion since she always starts to cry and tremble. Eutychios tests this; the bread is forced into her mouth, but she vomits it out again; she then also seizes the hand of a man standing there, which burst into flame. The next day, he anoints her; the demon finally comes out and she is able to receive communion.

1465-1491 The mosaicist
A mosaicist is removing an old mosaic depicting the story of Aphrodite, because the place will be turned into a chapel for *Mary [Mother of Christ, S00033], with a chapel above to *Michael [the Archangel, S00181]. When he is removing her face, a demon residing in the mosaic attacks his hand; the infection is so strong that the doctors recommend it be amputated. Desperate, he goes to Eutychios, who anoints the hand over three days, after which it is cured. Grateful, the mosaicist sets up an icon of Eutychios at the place where he was attacked. (See E08518)

1492-1527 The woodworker
A small child possessed by a demon is brought to Eutychios by a woodworker. He holds the child in his hands while Eutychios is blessing it. The next day, he comes back, complaining that he suffers heavy pain in his hand; the demon has gone from the child into his hand. Eutychios prays for him and then orders him to go home and continue praying. However, the woodworker disregards this and goes to the doctors, but they are unable to cure him. Finally, he goes back to Eutychios, who again prays for the man, and he is cured.

1528-1605 The fallen monk
A young man, possessed by a demon, is brought to Eutychios. He anoints him and lays the cross on his forehead, but the man begins to scream and strikes several monks down. Inquiring into the reasons of his affliction, they learn that he has been a monk in an monastery, but then left it. Eutychios orders him to go back there and prays for him; henceforth, he is free of the demon.

1606-1630 The leper
A countryman suffering from leprosy goes to Eutychios asking for help. He anoints his eyes and hands and orders him not to drink wine. The man departs and comes back a year later; the disease has not advanced any further and he is able to lead his usual life.

1631-1657 The blind man
A man has become blind because he has committed perjury in front of a justice court. He confesses his sins to Eutychios; begging God for forgiveness, Eutychios anoints his eyes with holy oil during three days, after which he is cured.

1658 – 1706 The women whose milk had dried up
Several women complain that their milk has dried up and that their children are starving. Eutychios prays continually, anoints them, and they are cured, their breasts even overflowing with milk.

1707 – 1779 The relief of the famine
At the time when the Persians under Chosroes invade the empire, many people take refuge in Amasea. A famine starts; all come to the monastery asking for bread. Eutychios goes down into the empty cellar and, praying there, proclaims that God will provide them with an inexhaustible amount of flour, and there is a never-ceasing heavenly supply allowing all the hungry to be fed.

1780-2293 Recall from exile and reinstallation as patriarch
After the death of the usurping patriarch [John Scholasticus], Eutychios is called back to Constantinople. This is also the wish of the emperors; Eutychios has foretold to Justin, Tiberius and Maurice that they will each become emperor. On his way back, he performs numerous miracles; for example, near Euchaita, a woman with a sick child falls accidentally beneath the mules of Eutychios. Everyone fears that they are dead, but they are unharmed and the child cured. Entering Nicomedia, he is greeted by a huge crowd and even the Jews give thanks to God for Eutychios’ arrival. His return to Constantinople is accompanied by great celebrations.

2294-2502 His second patriarchate
Eutychios performs numerous miracles: At the time of his return, there is a plague in Constantinople; however, it ceases after Eutychios has led a procession from the Hagia Sophia to the church of *Mary in Blachernae. A further miracle is the cure of a young nobleman; he has sustained an injury in his eye and is in danger of losing it. However, Eutychios prays for him and anoints the eye with oil, and he is cured. Moreover, he cures a woman suffering from dropsy; Eutychios applies the oil on her body, and she is healthy again a few days later. He is also active publishing books against heresies; in every single doctrine, he is an example of orthodoxy.

2503-2770 Death and funeral
Having celebrated the great Easter liturgy, Eutychios is taken ill and dies seven days later. His reception in heaven is known through two miracles; first, at the very moment of his death, the whole crowd gathered in the church suddenly shouts “Kyrie eleison”; second, it is not necessary to move his body and close his eyes after his death, his position is already perfect. A huge crowd attends the lavish funeral procession; his body is buried in the church of the Holy *Apostles.

2771-2831 Epilogue
Eustratios asks for forgiveness because of his inadequacy to properly praise Eutychios. He concludes by asking Eutychios in heaven to intercede on our behalf.


Summary: S. Roggo

Procession

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Cult building - independent (church)

Commissioning/producing an image
Public display of an image

Composing and translating saint-related texts
Appropriation of older cult sites
Visiting/veneration of living saint
Prayer/supplication/invocation

Miracle during lifetime
Fertility- and family-related miracles (infertility, marriages)
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Miraculous appointment to office
Healing diseases and disabilities
Exorcism
Material support (supply of food, water, drink, money)
Miraculous protection - of communities, towns, armies
Miracle at martyrdom and death
Miraculous behaviour of relics/images

Bodily relic - entire body
Myrrh and other miraculous effluents of relics

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Women
Children
Jews
Monarchs and their family
Physicians
Aristocrats

Source

Discussion

Bibliography