E05398: The Miracles of Saint Thekla recounts how *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092) saved Dexianos, bishop of Seleucia, from a demon who attacked him. She commanded him to use the perfumed oil from her sanctuary which delivered Dexianos from the demon in three days. Written in Greek at Seleucia ad Calycadnum (southern Asia Minor) in the 470s.

Miracles of Saint Thekla, 7

Dexianos, bishop of Seleucia ad Calycadnum, a holy man and attendant of the martyr, was once attacked by a demon who was envious of his universally good reputation. One night, the demon appeared to Dexianos, while he was on the privy, looking wild, panting, leering and making insane noises, so the bishop was stupefied and completely overwhelmed with dread. Out of great fear, his head was dislocated and shook. His miserable state caused a common grief among those who saw him.

The martyr recognised the demon who had done this to Dexianos and delivered the bishop from his suffering so that his great affliction ceased immediately and disappeared through the miracle.

νύκτωρ γὰρ ἐπιφοιτήσασα αὐτῷ κελεύει μηδαμῶς μὲν ἀθυμεῖν μήτε δεδιέναι μήτε ὀλιγοπιστίας πρᾶγμα ὑπομένειν, χρήσασθαι δὲ πρὸς θεραπείαν ἐλαίῳ τῷ τὸ νυκτιαῖον ἀεὶ φυλάττοντι φῶς κατὰ τὸν αὐτῆς χῶρον καὶ τὸ βῆμα τὸ ἱερόν. Τοῦτο ἀκούσας ὁ Δεξιανὸς καὶ ὑπὸ μόνης μὲν τῆς θαυμαστῆς ὄψεως καὶ περιχαρείας ἰάθη, διαναστὰς δὲ τῆς κλίνης καὶ τῷ ἐλαίῳ μυρωθέντι χρισάμενος, αὐτῆς δήπουθεν καὶ τοῦτο ἐργασαμένης, εἰς δευτέραν ἔτι καὶ ἑτέραν ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐδεήθη τοῦ φαρμάκου, πλήν γε ὅσον ἐπιγαυρούμενος τῷ βοηθήματι κατεχρήσατο τῷ δώρῳ. Τοσαύτην δὲ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔσχε τοῦτο τὸ προσταχθέν, ὥστε αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ πάλιν κινδυνεύσαντι καιρῷ κατὰ δαίμονος καὶ τότε προσβολὴν ἐπαρκέσαι.

'For, visiting him during the night, she commanded him never to lose heart, nor to be afraid, nor to abide any deed of weak faith, but to use as a remedy the oil that perpetually maintains a nocturnal light at her place and in the holy sanctuary. Hearing this, Dexianos was healed by the miraculous vision alone and his extreme joy: he rose from his bed and anointed himself with the oil which had become fragrant – this was apparently her working as well – for two days, and required the remedy no more, but he was so excited by the assistance [he had received] that he overused the gift. This prescription continued to be so effective thereafter that, for Dexianos, it sufficed to ward off a subsequent assault, when on another occasion he was again endangered by a demon.'

Text: Dagron 1978. Translation (lightly modified): Johnson 2012. Summary: J. Doroszewska.