Simeon Stylites

Saint Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite (Syriac:ܫܡܥܘܢ ܕܐܣܛܘܢܐ‎ šamʻun dasṯonáyá, Ancient Greek: Συμεὼν ὁ στυλίτης Symeon Stylites, Arabic:سمعان العمودي‎ semaan al aamoudi ) (c. 388 – 2 September 459) was a Syriac ascetic saint who achieved fame for living 37 years on a small platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria. Several other stylites later followed his model (the Greek word style means pillar). He is known formally as Saint Simeon Stylites the Elder to distinguish him from Simeon Stylites the Younger, Simeon Stylites III and Saint Symeon Stylites of Lesbos.