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{{Short description|6th-century Palestinian monk historian}}
'''Cyril of Scythopolis''' (ca. 525–559<ref name=OxfordDictByzantium>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|chapter=Cyril of Scythopolis|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1991|place=New York, Oxford|editor-first=Alexander P.|editor-last=Kazhdan}}</ref> CE), also known as '''Cyrillus Scythopolitanus''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Κύριλλος ὁ Σκυθοπολίτης}}, ''Kyrillos ho Skythopolitēs''), was a [[Christian]] monk, priest and [[Koine Greek|Greek]]<ref>Byzantium and the Arabs in the sixth century By Irfan Shahīd Page 156 {{ISBN|0-88402-284-6}} (2002)</ref> [[hagiographer]] or [[historian]] of monastic life in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] in the early years of Christianity (6th century CE).
'''Cyril of Scythopolis''' ({{langx|el|Κύριλλος ὁ Σκυθοπολίτης|Kyrillos ho Skythopolitēs}}; {{circa|525}} – {{circa|559}}), also known as '''Cyrillus Scythopolitanus''', was a [[Christians|Christian]] monk, priest and [[Koine Greek|Greek-language]] [[hagiographer]] or [[historian]] of monastic life in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] in the early years of Christianity (6th century AD).
 
==Life==
Cyril was born in [[Beit She'an|Scythopolis]], Palestinein the province of [[Palaestina Secunda]], sometime around 525.<ref name=ODB>{{harvnb|Baldwin|Talbot|1991|p=573}}</ref> His father John, a lawyer, supervised his early religious education.<ref Cyrilname=ODB/> wasShortly influencedafter by532 [[Sabbashe thebecame Sanctified|Saintan Sabas''[[anagnostes]]'' whom(lector), heand hadbecame meta when he was stillmonk in a543.<ref youngname=ODB/> age;Very insoon later years, whenthereafter he waswent into [[Jerusalem,]] heand alsospent metsome [[Johnmonths theat Silent|Sta John[[hermit]] thecommunity (''[[Hesychasm|Hesychastlavra]],'') bishopnear of Colonia inthe [[CappadociaJordan (Roman province)|Cappadocia SecundaRiver]]., Cyrilbefore in 544 arrived atentering the [[Laura of Euthymius|monastery]] of [[Euthymius the Great|Euthymius]] otherwiseat known[[Jericho]] asin ''Khan el-Ahmar'';544.<ref name=ODB/>Euthymius (KhanHe el-Ahmar),remained bythere Kellyuntil Jordan555, Universitywhen ofhe Notrewas Dame,one Summerof 2000the Fieldorthodox School''</ref>monks insent 555to CEreplace hethose movedexpelled tofor [[Origenism]] at the [[New Lavra of StSaint Sabas]] with(today otherin Orthodoxruins monksat after[[Teqoa#Other thearchaeological expulsionsites fromand itlandmarks of|Bir Origenistel-Wa'ar monks,near following the general condemnation of [[OrigenismTeqoa]]). HeTwo diedyears inlater thehe Greatmoved to the [[Great Lavra]] of StSaint Sabas]] whereto(today known as Mar Saba), where he haddied movedsometime in 557/558 CEor soon after.<ref name=OxfordDictByzantiumODB/>{{sfn|Frank 1991}}
 
Cyril was influenced by [[Sabbas the Sanctified|Saint Sabas the Sanctified]], whom he had met when he was still in a young age; in later years, when he was in [[Jerusalem]], he also met [[John the Silent|Saint John the Silent]] or the [[Hesychast]], bishop of [[Aksaray|Colonia]] in [[Cappadocia (Roman province)|Cappadocia]].<ref name=ODB/>
 
==Works==
Cyril is known for a number of [[hagiographies]] of seven Palestinian monks: Sabas the Sanctified, Euthymius the Great, John the Silent, [[Cyriacus the Anchorite]], [[Theodosius the Cenobiarch]], [[Theognius]], and Abramius.<ref name=ODB/>{{sfn|Frank 1991}}<ref>[[Eduard Schwartz]] (ed.), ''Kyrillos von Skythopolis'', Leipzig: J. C. Heinrichs Verlag, 1939 (Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur 4. Reihe 4. Band 2. Heft = 49. Band, 2. Heft).</ref> This ambitious undertaking was "fostered both by local patriotism and a firm belief in the relationship between holiness and the desert".<ref name=ODB/> As the historical information included in these works is both precise and accurate, Cyril is a valuable historical source for the period, on topics ranging from political affairs to ecclesiastical events and biographical details.<ref name=ODB/> Cyril is particularly valuable on the study of the Arab tribes of the region, notably the [[Ghassanids]] and their rivals, the [[Lakhmids]].{{sfn|Shahîd|1995|pp=xxiii–xxiv, 17, 182}}
His work ''Peri tou Megalou Euthymiou Syngraphē'', i.e. "Writing on Euthymius the Great", commonly called in English ''The Lives of the Monks of Palestine'', remains one of the principal sources of monastic life during the Byzantine period; he described therein seven lives of Palestinian saint monks.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Scythopolis}}</ref> Other works by him include a [[biography]] of St John the Hesychast.<ref name=OxfordDictByzantium/>
 
Apart for the seven monks to whom he dedicated entire ''[[Hagiography|vitas]]'', he contributed biographical and hagiographic details for several more, such as:
==See also==
*[[Mary of Egypt]] (c. 344-421)<ref>[https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110810105343984 "Mary of Egypt"] at Oxford Reference. Accessed 23 January 2024</ref>
* [[ProcopiusSeverian of Scythopolis]] (died 452/453)
*[[Theodosius the Cenobiarch]] (c. 423–529)<ref>{{cite book |author= Binns, John |chapter= I: Cyril of Scythopolis |title= Ascetics and Ambassadors of Christ: The Monasteries of Palestine 314-631 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |via= abstract at Oxford Reference |year= 1996 |pages= 23–40 |doi= 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198269342.003.0002 |isbn= 0-19-826934-X }}</ref>
 
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
 
==Sources==
{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFFrank_1991}}
* {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|title=Cyril of Skythopolis|page=573|last=Baldwin|first=Barry|last2=Talbot|first2=Alice-Mary|author-link2=Alice-Mary Talbot}}
* {{LexMA|5|1600|<!--none-->|Kyrillos von Skythopolis|Karl Suso Frank|<!--none-->|Frank 1991}}
* {{cite book|last=Shahîd|first=Irfan|authorlink=Irfan Shahîd|title=Byzantium and the Arabs in the Sixth Century. Volume 1, Part 1: Political and Military History|location=Washington, DC|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection|year=1995|isbn=978-0-88402-214-5}}
 
==External links==
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[[Category:525 births]]
[[Category:558 deaths]]
[[Category:6th-century Byzantine peoplemonks]]
[[Category:6th-century Byzantine historians]]
[[Category:LateWriters Antiqueof writerslate antiquity]]
[[Category:6th-century historiansHagiographers]]
[[Category:6th-centuryPeople Christianfrom clergyBeit She'an]]
[[Category:Roman-eraHoly GreekLand historiansduring Byzantine rule]]
[[Category:Justinian I]]
 
{{Christianity-bio-stub}}
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