Daniel

Saint Daniel, the Stylite

St Daniel was born in Syria, in 409, and later went on to become a monk. At the age of forty two, St Daniel wanted to become a Stylite ( from the geek word "Stylos", meaning pillar ), a christian who preached, prayed, and fasted on pillars. Stylitism (?) started in the early Byzantine Empire, the most famous stylite probably being Simeone Stylites the Elder. St Daniel had met Simeone Stylites twice in his life time, and was inspired by him. St Daniel cured the sick, sang hymns, and preached from his pillar, only coming down once in thirty three years to stop the Emperor Baliscus from backing a heresy of Monophysitism. St Daniel died in 493.