E07731: In c. 513/515, John Diakrinomenos in his Ecclesiastical History mentions stories from the life *Symeon (the Stylite, S00343), including a visit to him by the emperor Marcian, disguised as commoner. Written in Greek in Constantinople.

John Diakrinomenos, Ecclesiastical History, excerpts from Book 4

Οἱ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μοναχοὶ περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Συμεῶνος μαθόντες ὅτι ἐπὶ κίονος ἵσταται, μεμψάμενοι τῷ ξένῳ τοῦ πράγματος (πρῶτος γὰρ αὐτὸς τοῦτο ἐπενόησεν) ἀκοινωνησίαν αὐτῷ ἔπεμψαν. εἶτα ἐγνωκότες τὸν βίον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τὸ ἄτυφον πάλιν αὐτῷ ἐκοινώνησαν.

Μαρκιανὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν σχήματι ἰδιώτου πρὸς τὸν ὅσιον Συμεῶνα ἀφανῶς παρεγένετο.

'When the monks of Egypt heard that saint Symeon was standing on a column, they accused him for this unfamiliar practice (he was the first to devise it) and notified him that they broke communion with him. Later, they were informed about the lifestyle of the man and his lack of arrogance, and returned into communion with him.

The emperor Marcian visited the holy Symeon disguised as a commoner.'

Text: Hansen 1995.
Translation: Efthymios Rizos