E05349: The Life of *Theodoros (ascetic and abbot of Sykeon, ob. 613, S01619), by Eleusios-Georgios of Sykeon, mentions several festivals of saints, including processions, night vigils and the celebration of the Eucharist, celebrated in the 6th and 7th centuries at Iouliopolis, Germia and Sykeon (all in central Asia Minor), and in Constantinople. Written in Greek at Sykeon, in the 640s.

Georgios of Sykeon, Life of Theodoros, abbot of Sykeon and bishop of Anastasiopolis (CPG 7973 = BHG 1748)

13. 19-25. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἰοπολιτῶν πόλει, οὔσῃ ἀπὸ σημείων δεκαπέντε, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς παννυχίδος τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Εὑρέτου, ἐξερχόμενος τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου ἀπήρχετο δρόμῳ εἰς τὴν παννυχίδα νήστης, καὶ εὐχόμενος καῖ τῶν θείων τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστηρίων μεταλαμβάνων ὑπέστρεφεν ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ μεσονυκτίου καταλαμβάνων τὰ ἴδια. Ἦν γὰρ εὔδρομος πάνυ (...)

‘Similarly at Iouliopolis, which is about fifteen miles away, on the occasion of the vigil of the holy martyr Heuretes/Heuretos [S02000], he would go running at dinner time, without eating anything, would venerate and receive the divine Sacraments of Christ, and would return home around midnight. For he was indeed a very fast runner (…)’


69. 5-7 (…) οὐ γὰρ ἠσθίετο κρέα ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ, εἰ μὴ ἐν τρισὶ συνάξεσι τῶν ἁγίων δι’ ὅλου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τῶν ὄχλων.

‘No meat was consumed at the monastery, except at three feasts of saints during the whole year, for the entertainment of the multitudes.’


71. 5-12. Ἐν αὐταῖς οὖν ταῖς ἡμέραις έπέκειτο σύναξις τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν τῆς Θεοτόκου, τῆς τιμωμένης ἐν Μουσγῇ τῷ χωρίῳ, εἰς ἥνπερ καθ’ ἕκαστον χρόνον ἀπήρχοντο αἱ δύο πόλεις τῶν τε Γερμίων καὶ Εὐδοξιάδος μετὰ λιτῆς καὶ ἑώρταζον. Παραγενομένης δὲ ταύτης τῆς συνόδου, ἐξῆλθον κατὰ τὸ ἔθος οἱ τῶν δύο πόλεων ἐπίσκοποι μετὰ λιτῆς πανδήμου ἐπὶ τὸ προλεχθὲν χωρίον Μουσγῆς.

‘Those same days, a festival was approaching of our Lady the Mother of God [S00033], who is venerated at the village of Mousge, on which every year the two cities of Germia and Eudoxias used to visit in procession and celebrate. When this festival came, the bishops of the two cities set off according to custom, in a procession with all the people, for the said village of Mousge.’


126. 1-3. Ἐπιτελουμένης δὲ τῆς ἀθλητικῆς συνάξεως τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Ἀντιόχου τῇ ἐξκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ Ἰουλίου μηνὸς ἐν τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ ὁσίου προσκομίσαντος...

‘As the feast of the contest of the holy martyr Antiochos [S01997] was being celebrated on the 16th of the month of July in his chapel, and the holy man was offering the Eucharist (…)’


152.4-6. Καὶ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ἡμέρας ἐπιτελούντων ἡμῶν τὴν ἀθλητικὴν σύναξιν τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων Σεργίου καὶ Βάκχου τῇ ἑβδόμῃ τοῦ ὀκτωβρίου μηνὸς [...]

‘Not many days later, while we were celebrating the feast of the contest of the holy martyrs Sergios and Bakchos [S00023, S00079], on the 7th of the month of October, (…)’


162. 10-12. Ἐνάτῃ δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός, ἐπιτελεσθείσης τῆς εἱωθυίας συνάξεως τῶν Ἐγκαινίων τοῦ σεπτοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀρχαγγέλου, ἔθηκεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ μακάριος ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ αὐτοῦ μικρὸν νοσήσας τὸ σῶμα, ὡς νομισθῆναι ἀπὸ κόπου τῆς ἀγρυπνίας τῆς παννυχίδος τοῦτο αὐτῷ συνβεβηκέναι.

‘On the 9th of the same month (November), after the customary feast of the Dedication of the reverend house of the holy Archangel [S00181] had been celebrated, the blessed man lay down in his cell, and was afflicted by a brief bodily malady. This was thus thought to have been caused to him by the fatigue of wakefulness during the vigil.’


163. 11-18 Ἔτι δὲ καῖ τὰ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης κατὰ καιρὸν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι μνήμης αὐτοῦ προσείρηκεν ἡμῖν· «Θέλω, φησίν, τέκνα, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν τὸ νατάλιν μου κατ’ ἔτος ἐπιτελεῖτε.» Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ αἰνίγματι οὐ συνήκαμεν, ἀλλ’ ἀνθρώπινόν τινα λογισμὸν καὶ αὐτὸν ἐσχηκέναι ὑπενοήσαμε, ἐκ τῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλίδι πόλει γινομένων τοιούτων ἐπιτηδευμάτων μεμαθηκότα, ἐν τῷ εἰσιέναι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖσε διαφόρως.

‘But he also talked to us about the future celebration of his memory: “I wish, children,” he said, “that, from now on, you celebrate my natalin every year.” We did not understand this riddle, but thought that some human way of thinking of sorts had occurred to him, which he would have learned from the celebration of such things in the capital, during one of his several visits there.’


169. 37-40. Οὕτως γὰρ συνέφθασεν ὥστε τῇ αὐτῇ ἑσπέρᾳ ἐπικεῖσθαι τὴν παννυχίδα τῆς ἀθλήσεως τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Γεωργίου, ἔχοντος τοῦ ἀπριλλίου μηνὸς εἰκάδα δευτέραν. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ φωταψία καὶ ἡ παννυχὶς προκειμένου αὐτοῦ.

‘It thus coincided that that same evening [when Theodoros died] the vigil of the contest of the holy martyr Georgios [S00259] was to be celebrated, for it was the 22nd of the month of April. And the services of the lights and vigil were celebrated with him lying in state.’


169. 25-30. Ἐν δὲ τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ εἴτε θεόθεν εἴτε ἐκ ταχυδρομίας ἀνθρώπων ἠκούσθη ἐν τῇ βασιλευούσῃ πόλει ἡ κοίμησις τοῦ ἁγίου παρὰ τῷ πατριάρχῃ καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, ἣν καὶ τιμήσας ὁ πατριάρχης Σέργιος ἐκήρυξεν εἰς τὴν αὔριον, ἐπιτελέσας αὐτὴν ἐντίμως ἐν τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ τοῦ θεοῦ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ, θεσπίσας ἐτησίως αὐτὴν προκηρυκτικὴν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι.

‘On that same day, either by God or by human post, the news of the holy man’s dormition reached the Patriarch and the authorities in the capital. Patriarch Sergios paid homage to it and announced it one day later, during a solemn celebration at the most holy Great Church of God, and established that it be celebrated by public announcement every year.’

Text: Festugière 1970.
Translation: Efthymios Rizos.