Saints Asclepius and James of Syria

Historical Context

The two ascetics belong to the distinctive monastic tradition of northern Syria during the fourth and early fifth centuries. Their chief historical witness is Theodoret of Cyrrhus (born c. 393 in Antioch, appointed Bishop of Cyrrhus in 423, died c. 458-460), whose Philotheos historia, or A History of the Monks of Syria, is generally dated to around 444 CE.

Theodoret's fluency in Syriac and his role as bishop of the Cyrrhestica region gave him intimate knowledge of the local ascetic communities he described. He presented his thirty subjects as religious models; the last ten among them were still living when the work was completed.

In the Historia Religiosa, Asclepius and James appear grouped with Zebinas and Polychronius as ascetics of Cyrrhestica. The figures are listed together without individual death dates, which suggests they were contemporaries.

Asceticism

Asclepius practiced temperance while remaining in ordinary contact with the people of his native village, a life of restraint sustained in the midst of society rather than apart from it. His example attracted many imitators and followers.

James, by contrast, sought an extreme seclusion. He withdrew to a small dwelling near the village of Nimuza and never kindled a fire or lit a lamp within it. He spoke with those who came to him only through a small opening cut at an angle in the wall, arranged so that no visitor could see him, and he remained in the hermitage until his death.