Amongtheseheroesofthemonasticlife，thenameandgeniusofSimeonStylites^70havebeenimmortalizedbythesingularinventionofanaerialpenance。Attheageofthirteen，theyoungSyriandesertedtheprofessionofashepherd，andthrewhimselfintoanausteremonastery。Afteralongandpainfulnovitiate，inwhichSimeonwasrepeatedlysavedfrompioussuicide，heestablishedhisresidenceonamountain，aboutthirtyorfortymilestotheeastofAntioch。Withinthespaceofamandra，orcircleofstones，towhichhehadattachedhimselfbyaponderouschain，heascendedacolumn，whichwassuccessivelyraisedfromtheheightofnine，tothatofsixty，feetfromtheground。^71Inthislastandloftystation，theSyrianAnachoretresistedtheheatofthirtysummers，andthecoldofasmanywinters。Habitandexerciseinstructedhimtomaintainhisdangeroussituationwithoutfearorgiddiness，andsuccessivelytoassumethedifferentposturesofdevotion。Hesometimesprayedinanerectattitude，withhisoutstretchedarmsinthefigureofacross，buthismostfamiliarpracticewasthatofbendinghismeagreskeletonfromtheforeheadtothefeet；andacuriousspectator，afternumberingtwelvehundredandforty—fourrepetitions，atlengthdesistedfromtheendlessaccount。Theprogressofanulcerinhisthigh^72mightshorten，butitcouldnotdisturb，thiscelestiallife；andthepatientHermitexpired，withoutdescendingfromhiscolumn。Aprince，whoshouldcapriciouslyinflictsuchtortures，wouldbedeemedatyrant；butitwouldsurpassthepowerofatyranttoimposealongandmiserableexistenceonthereluctantvictimsofhiscruelty。
Thisvoluntarymartyrdommusthavegraduallydestroyedthesensibilitybothofthemindandbody；norcanitbepresumedthatthefanatics，whotormentthemselves，aresusceptibleofanylivelyaffectionfortherestofmankind。Acruel，unfeelingtemperhasdistinguiseedthemonksofeveryageandcountry:
theirsternindifference，whichisseldommollifiedbypersonalfriendship，isinflamedbyreligioushatred；andtheirmercilesszealhasstrenuouslyadministeredtheholyofficeoftheInquisition。
[Footnote70:SeeTheodoretinVit。Patrum，l。ix。p。848—
854，Antony，inVit。Patrum，l。i。p。170—177，Cosmas，inAsseman。Bibliot。Orientaltom。i。p。239—253，Evagrius，l。