Stagirus was a monk regarded as a heretic who experienced frequent possession, according to certain Christian sources. A demon within him reportedly appeared in the shape of a filthy pig. This narrative was referenced by figures like John Chrysostom. Related Posts:StagirusMythological Anatomy: The Hidden Vocabulary of the…Pig (Cochon)Monks
Stagirus was a monk regarded as a heretic who experienced frequent possession, according to certain Christian sources. A demon within him reportedly appeared in the shape of a filthy pig. This narrative was referenced by figures like John Chrysostom. Related Posts:StagirusMythological Anatomy: The Hidden Vocabulary of the…Pig (Cochon)Monks
Sicidites is recounted by some authors as a court magician during the reign of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. In one story, Sicidites stood near the windows of the imperial palace, causing a potter in a small boat to see an illusory serpent that frightened him into breaking his pottery. Another episode involves Sicidites in a … Read more
Sethus was described as a magician in the entourage of Emperor Manuel (Manuel I Komnenos) of the Byzantine Empire. According to the writer Nicétas Choniates, Sethus employed a charm to make a young woman fall in love with him using a peach he presented to her. This anecdote appears in accounts of magic and court … Read more
Michael Psellus (Michel Psellus) (1018–c.1081) was a Byzantine philosopher and court official in Constantinople. He authored works on demonology, including De operatione dæmonum (Paris, 1623), later translated into French by Gaulmin. In his accounts, he discussed the promises demons would make to their initiates, which often included wealth and status, and described how these entities … Read more
John, the schismatic patriarch of Constantinople, was consulted by the Greek emperor Theophilus, who was forced to subdue a rebellious province led by three captains. John, a skilled enchanter, had three large bronze hammers made, placed them in the hands of three strong men, and led them to the middle of the circus, in front … Read more
Gello (Gellō), in Byzantine mythology, is a female demon or revenant who threatens the reproductive cycle by causing infertility, miscarriage, and infant mortality. By the Byzantine era, the gelloudes (γελλούδες) were considered a class of beings. This entity is linked to the broader Mediterranean tradition of female demons associated with child death and reproductive harm. … Read more
Gennadius (Gennadios), Patriarch of Constantinople (458-471), encountered a hideous spectre on his way to church. Recognizing it as the devil, he conjured it and heard a voice warning him that while Gennadius lived, the devil could not harm the Greek Church as much as the patriarch himself, but after his death, the Church would be … Read more
Chalcédoine is a historical city located on the Bosphorus. After its ruin by the Persians, Constantine the Great attempted to rebuild it due to his fondness for the area. However, numerous eagles, symbolic of divine intervention, repeatedly snatched stones from the hands of workers, leading Constantine to abandon the project and instead establish Constantinople. This … Read more
Antiochus, a monk of Seba who lived at the beginning of the seventh century, in his 130 homilies entitled *Pandects of the Divine Scriptures*, the 83rd, *De insomniis* (On Dreams), deals with visions and dreams.Antiochus’s work provides valuable insight into early Christian views on dreams and their interpretation. The focus on dreams within religious texts … Read more