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Venerable (Monastic)4th century

Saint Theodoulus Eparch of Constantinople

4th–5th century (died c. 440)

Also known as Theodoulos the Eparch

An eparch under Theodosius the Great who left public office, gave away his wealth after his wife's death, and became a monk.

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Life

Saint Theodoulus was a public official who served as an eparch of Constantinople during the reign of the emperor Theodosius the Great (379–395). He resigned his office because he did not wish to be distracted by vain worldly cares, and after the death of his wife he distributed his wealth to the poor and embraced the monastic life.

Having become a monk, he traveled to Edessa, where he took up the ascetic discipline of the stylites, living atop a pillar for thirty years. According to his life, he ate nothing but the Body and Blood of Christ together with the antidoron, once a week. He is commemorated on December 3 and reposed around the year 440.

Troparion1 hymnReadHide
TroparionTone 8

By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
O our holy father Theodoulus, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline4 momentsReadHide
  1. 379–395Eparch under Theodosius the GreatTheodoulus serves as an eparch of Constantinople during the reign of the emperor Theodosius the Great, later resigning the office to avoid worldly distractions.
  2. After his wife's deathRenounces the worldFollowing the death of his wife, he distributes his wealth of 550 litres of gold to the poor and becomes a monk, traveling to Edessa.
  3. c. 410–440Thirty years on a pillarAt Edessa he lives as a stylite atop a pillar for thirty years, receiving only the Eucharist and antidoron once a week.
  4. c. 440ReposeSaint Theodoulus the Stylite departs to the Lord around the year 440; he is commemorated on December 3.

Contributions & Legacy

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From Public Office to the Pillar

Before his conversion to the monastic life, Theodoulus held the rank of eparch, a senior administrative office, in Constantinople under Theodosius the Great. His life records that he stepped down from this position because he did not want the responsibilities of public service to distract him from spiritual concerns.

The death of his wife marked a decisive turn. According to his life, he gave away a fortune of 550 litres of gold to the poor and became a monk. He then went to Edessa, where he adopted the way of the stylites, remaining on top of a pillar for thirty years and sustaining himself with the Eucharist and the antidoron once each week.

Cornelius the Mime

A tradition preserved in his life relates that Theodoulus once wondered whether anyone equaled him in spiritual achievement. In answer, an inner voice from God revealed that he was the equal of Cornelius, a mime who worked in a theatre in Damascus.

Theodoulus sought out Cornelius and found that the mime had already abandoned his theatrical career. The account credits Cornelius with an act of self-sacrifice: when a debtor was about to be imprisoned, he raised 400 gold coins through his own effort and hardship in order to free the man. The story is told as a lesson that hidden acts of mercy in the world can match the visible feats of the ascetic.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints