E05352: The Life of *Theodoros (abbot of Sykeon, ob. 613, S01619), by Eleusios-Georgios of Sykeon, mentions pilgrimage visits by its hero to the Anatolian shrines of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) at Heraclea of Pontus and Sozopolis of Pisidia, *Michael (the Archangel, S00181) at Germia, and *Autonomos (martyr of Nicomedia, S00016) in Bithynia. Some of these visits are described as vows. Written in Greek at Sykeon (central Asia Minor), in the 640s.

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

Heraclea

44. The landowner (ktetor) Theodoros from Heraclea of Pontus invites Theodoros to deliver him and his house from evil spirits.

44. 4-7 (...) παρεκάλει αὐτὸν παραγενέσθαι ἐν τῇ πόλει αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ καὶ εὔξασθαι εἰς τὸν παρ’ αὐτοῖς σεβάσμιον οἶκον τῆς παναγίας Θεοτόκου καὶ λυτρώσασθαι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ (...) 11-16. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος ἔχων πόθον τοῦ εὔξασθαι εἰς τὸν ἐκεῖσε σεβάσμιον οἶκον τῆς παναγίας Θεοτόκου συνῆλθεν αὐτῷ, καὶ παραγενόμενος ἐν τῇ πόλει Ἡρακλείᾳ καῖ τὸν πόθον τῆς εὐχῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπλήρωσεν ἐν τῷ σεβασμίῳ τῆς παναγίας Θεοτόκου ναῷ, καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ εἰρημένου ἐνδόξου ἀνδρὸς Θεοδώρου ἠλευθέρωσε (...)

'(…) he implored him to visit his city, in order that he might both pray at their venerable church of the all holy Mother of God and deliver his house. (…) Now the blessed man had a great desire to venerate at the local venerable church of the all-holy Mother of God and went with him. So he arrived in Herakleia and fulfilled his desire to pray at the venerable church of the all-holy Mother of God, and delivered the house of the said illustrious man Theodoros.'

Sozopolis

See E05332 for a more detailed coverage of this visit

106. 1-9. Ἄλλῃ δὲ ὀμματοποινικῇ συμφορᾷ καθ’ ἕκαστον χρόνον συνεχόμενος ἐπὶ ἕνα καὶ ἥμισυ μῆνα ἡμερῶν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ θέρους καιρόν, εὐχαρίστει μὲν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ πάθει ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἀλλ’ εἰς τὴν τῶν ὄχλων ὑποδοχὴν οὐκ ἐπήρκει. Ταύτης οὖν ἕνεκα τῆς συμφορᾶς, θεόθεν κινηθεὶς ἐξῆλθε πορεύεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸν ναὸν τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν τῆς Θεοτόκου, τὸν ὄντα ἐν Σωζοπόλει. Ἦν γὰρ ἔκπαλαι πόθον ἔχων θεατὴς γενέσθαι τῆς θεϊκῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐκεῖσε· ἔπρεπε γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκεῖσε θεϊκῆς μαρτυρίας μαρτυρηθῆναι, καί τινας ἀπὸ κινδύνων ῥύσασθαι.

‘He used to be afflicted by a painful infection of the eyes every year for one and a half month during the summer season. He was very grateful even for this suffering, but it made him unfit to receive the multitudes. On account of this adversity, then, and driven by God, he set off to visit the church of our Lady the Mother of God, which is in Sozopolis. He had indeed for long desired to view the divine gift which manifests itself at that place. It was indeed truly fitting that he should receive a testimony also by the divine manifestation of that place, and rescue some people from dangers.’

Monastery of Autonomos

During his stay at Nicomedia after his third visit to Constantinople in 610/611, Theodoros is invited to visit the monastery of Autonomos at Prainetos near Nicomedia.

157. 4-7 (...) Ἦν γὰρ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει προπαρακαλέσας αὐτὸν ὁ θεοφιλέστατος αὐτῶν ἡγούμενος Παῦλος περὶ τούτου καὶ ὡς διὰ τὸ προσκυνῆσαι καὶ τὸν παρ’ αὐτοῖς κατακείμενον ἅγιον μάρτυρα συνέθετο αὐτοῖς πάντως παραγενέσθαι. (...) 67-71. Ὁ δὲ ὅσιος εἰσελθὼν καὶ εὐξάμενος ἐν τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Αὐτονόμου κατῆλθεν καὶ εἰς τὴν κατάθεσιν ἔνθα κατάκειται ὁ ἔνδοξος μάρτυς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ περιεπτύξατο τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ λείψανον ποιήσας καὶ τὴν θείαν λειτουργίαν σὺν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς.

‘(…) 4-7. Their abbot, Paulos, most dear to God, had implored him for this at Constantinople, and he had promised to visit them by all means, also in order to venerate the holy martyr who rests there. (…) 67-71. Now the holy man entered and prayed at the shrine of the holy martyr Autonomos. He also went down to the tomb (katathesis) where the holy martyr of Christ rests and embraced his holy relic, having celebrated the liturgy with all of them.’

Germia

The people of Germia call for Theodoros’ help with a pandemic of demonic possessions in their town.

161. 21-29: ... ἀξιοῦντες αὐτὸν παραγενέσθαι πρὸς αύτοὺς ὡς ἐν προφάσει προτροπῆς, τοῦ καὶ αὐτὸν εὔξασαθαι εἰς τὸν παρ’αὐτοῖς ὄντα σεβάσμιον ναὸν τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ αὐτοὺς τῆς εὐλογίας αὐτοῦ ἀξιωθῆναι. Ἦν δὲ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ταξάμενος εὐχὴν ἐκεῖσε τελέσαι, δι’ ἥνπερ καὶ ἠνέσχετο συνελθεῖν τοῖς ἀποσταλεῖσιν πρὸς τὸ ἀποδοῦναι καὶ τὸ τῆς εὐχῆς χρέος.)

‘(…) they requested that he might visit them by way of an exhortation, in order that he might pray at the venerable church of the holy Archangel which is at their city, and that they might receive his blessing. This blessed man had indeed vowed to pray there, on account of which he accepted to follow the envoys and to fulfil his debt of prayer.’

A few weeks before his death, Theodoros announces to his monks that he is about to go to the Archangels.

167. 28-34. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀληθῶς καὶ μεθοδευτικῶς ἡμὶν είπόντος, ἐδοξάσαμεν ὅτι ἐφ’ ὅσον εἶπεν εἰς τοὺς ἀρχαγγέλους ἀπιέναι, πάντως εἰς τὴν πόλιν τῶν Γερμίων βούλεται ἀπελθεῖν· ἠγάπα γὰρ τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην ὡς πόθον ἔχουσαν πολὺν πρὸς αὐτόν, τὸ δὲ πλεῖον διὰ τὸν σεπτὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀρχαγγέλου· οὕτως γὰρ πᾶσα ἡ πατρὶς προσαγορεύει τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην «Τοὺς Ἀρχαγγέλους».

‘He told us these things in a both truthful and cryptic way, and we believed that, since he said that he was going to the Archangels, he was planning to visit the city of Germia. For he was fond of that town, since it was greatly devoted to him, and even more so on account of the venerable church of the holy Archangel. For the whole province calls that town “the Archangels”.'

Text: Festugière 1970.
Translation: Efthymios Rizos.