E04018: Sozomen in his Ecclesiastical History mentions veneration and miracles at the tombs of *Hilarion (anchorite in Palestine and Cyprus, ob. 371, S00099) in Cyprus and Palestine. Originally buried in Cyprus, his body was stolen and reburied in his monastery in Palestine. Sozomen describes the posthumous veneration of ascetics as common in Palestine, mentioning the 4th c. monks and missionaries *Aurelios (S01700), *Alexion (S01701), and *Alaphion (S01702). Written in Greek at Constantinople, 439/450.

Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, 3.14. 26-28.

(26) … ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δὲ θεοφιλὴς ἐγένετο, ὡς ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ τάφῳ πολλοὺς ἰᾶσθαι κάμνοντας καὶ δαιμονῶντας, καὶ—τό γε παραδοξότατον—παρά τε Κυπρίοις, οὗ πρότερον ἐτάφη, καὶ παρὰ Παλαιστίνοις, παρ’ οἷς ἐστι νῦν. (27) συμβὰν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐν Κύπρῳ διατρίβοντα τελευτῆσαι, πρὸς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐκηδεύθη καὶ ἐν πολλῇ τιμῇ καὶ θεραπείᾳ παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἦν. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Ἡσυχᾶς, ὃς εὐδοκιμώτατος ἐγένετο τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν, κλέψας τὸ λείψανον διεκόμισεν εἰς Παλαιστίνην καὶ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ μοναστηρίῳ ἔθαψε. καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἐκείνου δημοτελῆ καὶ μάλα λαμπρὰν ἐνθάδε ἐτήσιον ἑορτὴν ἄγουσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι. (28) ὧδε γὰρ Παλαιστίνοις ἔθος γεραίρειν τοὺς παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς γενομένους, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ Αὐρήλιον τὸν Ἀνθηδόνιον καὶ Ἀλεξίωνα τὸν ἀπὸ Βηθαγάθωνος καὶ Ἀλαφίωνα τὸν ἀπὸ Ἀσαλέας, οἳ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν γενόμενοι χρόνον ἐπὶ τῆς παρούσης βασιλείας εὐσεβῶς καὶ ἀνδρείως ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ἐπολιτεύσαντο καὶ ταῖς οἰκείαις ἀρεταῖς ἐν ἑλληνιζούσαις ἄγαν ταῖς τῇδε πόλεσι καὶ κώμαις εἰς ἐπίδοσιν ἤγαγον τὴν θρησκείαν.

‘(26) ... He was so dear to God that even now many afflicted and possessed people get healed at his tomb and this happens, most remarkably, both in Cyprus where he was first buried, and in Palestine where he now rests. (27) As he happened to die while living in Cyprus, he was buried by the locals and was held in great respect and veneration by them. Later, Hesychas, the most prominent of his disciples, stole the body, brought it to Palestine, and buried it in his own monastery. Since then, the locals have been celebrating a public and brilliant yearly festival at that place. (28) For the Palestinians are indeed accustomed to honouring like this the great men who have lived in their land, such as Aurelios of Anthedon, Alexion from Bethagathon, and Alaphion from Asalea. These were contemporary, living during this emperor’s reign [Constantius II], and led pious and noble lives in the practice of asceticism. By their personal virtues they caused the considerable progress of our religion in the cities and villages of that area, then being overwhelmingly pagan.’

Text: Bidez and Hansen 1995. Translation: E. Rizos.