SPEAR Factoids about Stephen — ܐܣܛܦܢܐ

Stephen is commemorated in Thomas, Stephen, and Zota (text) [http://syriaca.org/work/805] , a work surviving in at least 3 manuscripts including
  • mss London, British Library, Add. 14647, f. 45-51 and Add. 14650, f. 167v-172v
  • .
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    Syriaca.org URI: http://syriaca.org/person/3010

    Personal Information

    Name variant(s):

    Stephen See factoid page

    Sex:

    Stephen was male. See factoid page

    Place of residence:

    After the exile, Stephen resided in Petra. See factoid page

    Stephen resided in the Convent of John Urtaya. See factoid page

    Sanctity:

    Stephen was a saint. See factoid page

    Occupation(s):

    Stephen was a deacon. See factoid page

    Stephen was a notary. See factoid page

    Stephen was a syncellus. See factoid page

    Physical Trait:

    Stephen was sickly and feeble of body. See factoid page

    Relationships

    Theodora, Roman empress sent a letter to Stephen. See factoid page

    John of Ephesus commemorated Stephen. See factoid page

    Mara, metropolitan of Amid had ecclesiastical authority over Stephen, Thomas and Sergius. See factoid page

    Events

    The persecution reached Mare, Bishop of Amida in Mesopotamia and he chose exile over the synod of Chalcedon. He went into exile in Petra with Sergius, Stephen, and Thomas. See factoid page


    Thomas, Stephen, and Zwtʾ departed from the Convent of John Urtaya after two years and headed toward Egypt. See factoid page


    Theodora sent a letter to Stephen, inviting the monks to stay with her at court. See factoid page


    Stephen accepted the invitation and tried to convince Thomas and Zwtʾ to accompany him, but they refused and parted ways. Thomas wished to dedicated the remainder of his life to fasting and praying alone in the desert. See factoid page


    Stephen lived a life of asceticism and abstinence, setting an excellent example for the king, queen, and senators. See factoid page


    Stephen died. See factoid page


    Mare sent Stephen to the Royal City to ask for relief from their distress in Petra. Stephen appealed to Theodora. She appealed to her husband Justinian. He appealed to his uncle, Justin I who stated that Mare could come to Alexandria. See factoid page


    Stephen delivered the order to come to Alexandria to Mare and his men as well as to Isidore, Bishop of Kenneshrin, also in exile. See factoid page


    Mare and his men found an old man who sold utensils for a living in the village of Mendis. He lived in a community of other religious exiles. Stephen and Thomas asked the man to lead them to the exiles. See factoid page


    Stephen intended to live an ascetic life, but he was sickly and feeble of body. See factoid page


    Stephen and the sisters of Mare, Anonymous 3606 and Anonymous 3607, received permission from Theodora to take Mare's bones to his own country. See factoid page


    Stephen saw that Thomas was residing in Monastery of John Urtaya and decided to join him, as did another monk who served under Mare, named Zota. All three men dwelled in the Monastery of John Urtaya for two years. See factoid page


    How to cite:

    “Person Page for Stephen — ܐܣܛܦܢܐ ,” in SPEAR: Syriac Persons Events and Relations, general editor Daniel L. Schwartz, https://dev.spear-prosop.org/aggregate/person/3010.html, 2025-07-01.