An elite soldier of the Byzantine army, the first Athonite was captured and imprisoned by Arab forces. Remembering in the darkness of his prison that he had vowed to become a monk in his youth, Saint Peter began his repentance and was enrolled in the Lord’s army. After being set free from prison by Saint Nicolas the Wonderworker and Saint Symeon the God-Receiver, Saint Peter was sent to sack the demonic stronghold on Mount Athos which Christ Jesus had given to His Holy Mother as her garden. After his arrival, he climbed the mountain and found a cave that had become a lair of beasts and demons. Without any hesitation, he settled there out of obedience and trust in the Lord, and the demons fled in the wake of such childlike faith. Infuriated by the onslaught of his prayer, the Devil sent his forces to attack him with frightful noises, and visions of arrows and high-pressured geysers. Saint Peter simply called out to the Theotokos and the demonic devices vanished. Realizing their attempts at artifice had failed, the demons stirred up all the wild animals and reptiles of the region and sent them against him as well, but they too were put to flight by the Name of the Lord and the sign of His cross. Victorious in battle, the holy ascetic steadily grew in virtue and the likeness of Christ. Knowing that he could not defeat Saint Peter, the Devil resorted to deception to try to get him to abandon his post. He disguised himself as a servant and presented himself to the Man of God reminding him of his parents and promising to find him a retreat closer to the city where they lived. Though he was affected by the vision, he told the youth that he had not been given leave to depart by the One who had sent him. Some years later, the demon tried yet again appearing to Saint Peter as an angel of light, but the ascetic replied that he was not deceived because he knew he was unworthy to entertain angels. Lashed by his humility as if with fire, the demon retreated yet again. By the end of his life, the Holy Mountain was being settled by an increasing number of monks, a testament to his success in battle. Even after death he continued putting the enemy to shame – a demon was cast out of a man when he touched the body of the Saint, and a man sent by the Devil to burn the holy relics was stopped by an unseen hand.
Hymnography
With what fair crowns of praise shall we crown the illustrious Peter of Athos? Name for him that led the Apostles’ choir and who himself led the Angel’s life, the rock of divine faith in Christ Savior; that summit of Holy Athos and its champion; the Virgin and Theotokos’s initiate; that indestructible anvil on the which were broken all the evil one’s treacheries; he who hath received bright crowns from heaven for all his victories.
(Lord, I have cried; First Troparion of Saint Peter)
Founded upon the unbreakable rock of faith with unwavering firmness, thou, O righteous Peter, wast not cast down by the assaults of the enemy or by all his multiform illusions; but rather, on stripping naked all his wickedness, thou leddest thy life in stillness and nakedness beyond the limits of nature, whereby thou hast put on the bright robe of gladness and joy by grace, and thou hast passed on to light never dimmed with eventide.
(Lord, I have cried; Third Troparion of Saint Peter)
Notable Athos, the holy inheritance of the Theotokos, glorieth in thy struggles, O all-blessed Peter. For ascending into this mountain, thou didst lift thy mind up to the everlasting mountains; and passing thy life in the unyielding practice of the virtues, though didst prove to be an immovable rock of patient endurance. For in thy steadfast purpose, O Father, thou didst endure the frenzied illusions of darkness and the many necessities of nature. Wherefore, at the sight of thine endurance Angels marveled, the demons trembled, and the Church is astonished, and crieth with exceeding gladness unto Him that gave thee strength: O Lord, glory be to Thee.
(For the Entreaty; Third Troparion)
Rejoice, star of Mount Athos most bright, thou Godlike dweller of the Mountain brought up thereon, thou sword cutting down the demons and hurling down their assaults; O unsleeping eye of stillness great in prayer; thou true and beloved friend of the pure Mother of our God, for, being cherished by her vigilant providence, thou didst dash the designs of the enemy. Blessed art thou, O Peter, mighty rock indestructible, thou living rule of invincible perseverance for hesychoasts. Implore Christ the Savior to grant pardon of our sins and great mercy to our souls.
(Second Troparion of the Aposticha)
To the Mountain of Athos thou rannest eagerly, led by the marvelous providence of the Mother of God; and thy way of life astonished mortals mightily. For thou didst live in nakedness and didst put to open shame malign Belial completely with thy persistent endurance, O Father Peter, glory of the Saints.
(Sessional Hymns after the Second Reading from the Psalter, Doxastikon; Orthros)
Ye who dwelt in the desert and showed it forth as a city, O marvelous pair of Saints, O glorious Onuphrios, and divine Peter, blest are ye. For the one dwelt in Egypt as thou incorporeal, while the other on Athos heaped shame on the dragon’s head. Wherefore, ye are heirs of every heavenly blessing, the Angel’s beloved friends, their companions and peers on high, unto whom we cry out with faith: Intercede with Christ our God that forgiveness of all their transgressions be granted to them that with longing keep your holy memory.
(Sessional Hymns after the Polyeleos, First Troparion; Orthros)
Thy servant Peter, having thy help, O immaculate Lady, destroyed with a staunch spirit the enemy’s cunning treacheries.
(Ode Three, Of Saint Peter, Theotokion; Orthros Canon)
Thou wentest forth naked to the strife and contest, O Saint, and thou didst strip naked all the foe’s devices by thine unwavering constancy. Struggling in the shadow of Mount Athos in labors, thou didst cast the demon’s foul despite down in ruin. For this, O blessed Peter, did Christ show thee forth marvellous.
(Sessional Hymns after Ode Three, Doxastikon; Orthros Canon)
The ven’rable Peter, having found thee truly to be a gracious defender and a speedy helper in war, O Virgin unstained and pure, calling on thy hallowed name, he threw down the devil, running to the end the course of God-pleasing virtues; and now he doth behold the pure light of thy great majesty.
(Sessional Hymns after Ode Three, Theotokion; Orthros Canon)
The swarms of demons, beholding thy way of life, fell upon thee with all manner of treacheries; but their madness was defeated by thy constancy, O Peter, as thou didst fix thy gaze upon the grace of God.
(Ode Five, Of Saint Peter, Second Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Raging against thee with all his power, the guileful enemy appeared with a multitude of archers frantic with martial fury; but thou, clothed with the whole armor of the all-pure Virgin, didst turn to flight his wanton audacity.
(Ode Five, Of Saint Peter, Third Troparion; Orthros Canon)
The godly-minded Peter, cleansed in mind and poetically beholding the thy glory, O only transcendently glorious and Lady graced of God, manfully endured the villainies of the demons and hurled their presumption to the ground.
(Ode Five, Of Saint Peter, Theotokion; Orthros Canon)
The crafty foe, waxing wanton against thee, set upon thee in the form of terrible serpents and wild beasts; but thou didst dash him to the ground with the invocation of the all-pure Virgin.
(Ode Six, Of Saint Peter, Second Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Protected by the immaterial overseeing of the Theotokos, thou didst pass unhurt through the plots of the dragon, O God-bearing Peter, and didst water Athos with the sweat of thy struggles.
(Ode Six, Of Saint Peter, Theotokion; Orthros Canon)
In the form of thy domestic servant, and of an archangel of the Lord of Hosts, the enemy of what is good came to lead thee into error, unerring star that thou wast, but he was put to shame by thy prayers.
(Ode Seven, Of Saint Peter, Second Troparion; Orthros Canon)
How shall I laud thy life, and thy trophies against the demons? For thou didst contend like an immaterial being in a material body and threwest down the enemy’s tens of thousands of treacheries.
(Ode Seven, Of Saint Peter, Third Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Thy hallowed reliquary is an inexhaustible source of healing, which endeth the cruel violence of grievous diseases and manifestly chaseth away unclean spirits; for the divine grace dwelling therein worth strange wonders.
(Ode Nine, Of Saint Peter, Second Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Thou art the chief of hesychasts on Mount Athos, completing mighty struggles beyond all measure: Hence, O righteous Peter, we all call thee blest, as the unshaken rock of faith which to the end dashed to pieces the fierce assaults of the demons.
(Exapostalaria, Of Saint Peter; Orthros)
Peter, righteous boast of Athonites, the bright achievements and feats of they conflicts and victories and the high singular prizes won by thy way of life amaze our minds and confirm our souls in faith, while turning back in defeat demons’ troops. What labors thou didst bear! Living out thy life as incorporeal, naked and unsheltered from the ruthless elements.
(For the Praises, Of Saint Peter, First Troparion; Orthros)
Swayed by the Virgin’s divine behest , thou wentest zealously forth to Mount Athos to lead a life of relentless discipline far transcending the fallen world. Upon destroying the demons’ phantasies, thou didst receive bread of Angels for thy food. What grace most marvelous was bestowed on thee as thy reward from God, O God-bearing Peter, for thy pains in solitude.
(For the Praises, Of Saint Peter, Second Troparion; Orthros)
Category: Silence
Indicates saints for whom their defeat of the demons was related to silence.
Pansemne, the Former Prostitute
A prostitute from Antioch, the ironically named Saint Pansemne (“very chaste”) especially targeted Christians with her charms for 12 years. Hearing of her reputation, Saint Theophanes, who lived nearby in solitude, feigned interest, but surprised her with a marriage proposal that included a large quanitity of gold. His only condition was that she become a Christian. When she learned about the Last Judgment during her catechesis, her conscience was pricked, and she gave herself to the ascetic life, shutting herself up in a cell like that of her husband. Her name ultimately proved prophetic, and, having done all diligence, God granted her petitions of healing and delivering those tormented by demons.
Hilarion, Abbot of the Monastery of Dalmatus
As a young monk in the Monastery of Dalmatus, Hilarion was giving the obedience of keeping and tilling the garden like our first father, Adam. While working the earth by the sweat of his brow, Saint Hilarion also tended the garden of his soul through holy hesychia. According to his faithfulness, he was given the grace to cast out a demon from a child by his prayer. Thus, his way of life and his boldness before the Lord signaled to all his future as the abbot of the famous monastery.
Hymnography
Passing through the gulf of the passions and escaping dry through the surging billows of the demons, O righteous Father, though didst cast anchor in the haven of dispassion.
(Ode One, Third Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Armed with abstinence as weapon and prayer as breastplate, thou didst put to flight the ranks of invisible enemies.
(Ode Three, Second Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Thou didst set the steps of thy heart upon the rock of faith and didst remain unshaken, unafraid of the assaults of the demons.
(Ode Four, Third Troparion; Orthros Canon)
In thy weaponless grappling with the spiritual Goliath, who was lifted up in wickedness, thou didst fell him with faith as with a sling; and wresting from him the weapons of his defeat, thou didst behead him as a boaster.
(Ode Six, First Troparion; Orthros Canon)
With the sweat of asceticism thou didst wholly quench the burning coals of the enemy’s darts; and having kindled the fire of faith, thou burntest up the vaunting of heretical belief.
(Ode Six, Third Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Peter of Korisha
Putting aside childish things for the things of God as a young boy, Saint Peter sought to embrace the eremitic life as soon as he was able. Delayed from doing so after the death of his parents by the responsibility of caring for his younger sister, he achieved his aim when she agreed to enter the monastic life as well. Searching for hesychia, he journeyed to a deserted place where he lived in alone in a cave for many years in fasting and prayer. His only companions were the wild animals who dwelt with him as in an outpost of Paradise. While there, he was continuously assailed by demons who sought to sow despair, but the saint confidently drove them off by chanting psalms and hymns. Seeking yet again to wound the heal of man, the Saint was set upon by a snake, but the Holy Archangel Michael appeared and repulsed the snake with his sword. In thankfulness for this protection, Saint Peter increased his ascetic efforts. This resulted in such a deeply Christ-like transformation that he was able to discern the pits the demons continuously dug for him, avoiding them with prayer and humility. He continuously reminded himself that he had been created from the dust of the earth and that he could do nothing without God’s help. The prince of the power of the air, however, would not relent, attacking him with a flock of crows that tried to bend him by pecking out his eyes. This time, the Saint again put him to flight by prayer, specifically the recitation of the Creed. In the end, his victory was proclaimed by the Lord Himself, the uncreated light filling his cave for a number of days. This abundant grace led to his discovery by other monks. He handed down to them his teaching on the ascetic life before falling asleep in peace, having recapitulated the life of mankind in salvation as a co-worker with Christ.
Jeremiah the Anchorite
As soon as he was able Jeremiah devoted himself to the eremitic life, living in silence and solitude in the high deserts of Syria. Like the man who found the pearl of great price, he sold all the pleasures and conveniences of this world, to buy the field in which he found it. In that field he endured all the deprivations of the ascetic life, counting them nothing compared to the treasures he received directly from the Lord’s hand, especially patience and endurance. He mounted up into the heavens using these two virtues as wings, and became a friend of God. Miracles and the power to cast out demons flowed from his continuous nearness to Christ, his only hope and consolation.
Therapontus of the White Lake
A disciple of the great light of Russian monasticism, Saint Sergius of Radonezh, Saint Therapontus set out for the White Lake with his friend, Saint Cyril, after receiving a revelation from the Lord. After arriving they both devoted themselves to the hesychastic life is separate cells. The area was inhospitable, both physically and spiritually, but the Saint was able to tame it on both levels. By his prayers local thieves accepted the Faith, wild animals were made gentle, and the demons were driven out. A community eventually formed around him, but he refused to be made their abbot. Instead, he simply provided them with a consistent example of monastic perfection – exceedingly merciful with the brethren but demanding of himself.
Euphrosynos (Eleazar) of Pskov
An ascetic from childhood, Saint Euphrosynius put away childish things for spiritual reading, especially that of the Holy Scriptures, and frequent attendance at the Divine Services. Fleeing the world, he became a monastic at a monastery near Pskov and shined forth with the evangelic virtues. When this caused his fame to spread, he retreated once again, with the blessing of his Abbot, into holy hesychia living the life of a hermit. There in the wilderness he put the invisible enemy of mankind to flight through intense fasting, vigils, and prayer. As others began to join him in his ascetic efforts, he established a monastery building a church in honor of the Three Holy Hierarchs. At the end of his life, he one again withdrew into seclusion. Sometime after his death, the monastery was renamed in honor of Saint Euphrosynius.
Arsenius the Great
Born of a noble family and renowned for his learning, even after devoting himself to obtaining spiritual knowledge above all, Saint Arsenius found himself at the heart of society as the tutor for Emperor of the East, Theodosius the Great’s, children. Resisting the temptations afforded by such a privileged position, one night Arsenius heard a voice from heaving telling him to flee the company of men in order to be saved. He immediately left for the Egyptian desert where he joined the anchorite community at Scetis and began living in solitude some 30 miles from the church. After begging God for more guidance, he heard yet another voice telling him to flee conversation and remain in silence in order to be saved. From this he understood that, while possible for some, it was not possible for him to live with both God and men and keep his nous focused on the Lord. In his silence and solitude, he was assailed by the demons who incessantly brought to mind thoughts of his past life. The holy hermit, however, thwarted their attacks by always asking God for the grace to begin anew and by prolonged perseverance in the life to which God had called him.
Hymnography
O Righteous Father Arsenius, into all the earth hath the sound of thine achievements gone forth; wherefore thou hast found in the Heavens the reward of thy labors. Thou didst destroy the ranks of demons; thou didst attain to the orders of the Angels, whose life thou didst emulate without blame. Since thou hast boldness with Christ God, pray that peace be granted unto our souls.
(First Troparion of Saint Arsenius; The Entreaty at Great Vespers)
Receiving succor from God because of thy contrite heart, O Father Arsenius, thou didst dash down the attacks of hostile and unclean spirits and didst bear away the trophy through thy humility.
(Ode Three, Second Troparion of the Righteous One; Orthros Canon)
Knowing well the enemy’s cunning, O Father, in thy godliness thou didst reject him that mediated the first transgression of first-formed Adam. Therefore, while dancing for joy in the immaculate meadow of delight, make entreaty unto Christ the Master.
(Ode Five, First Troparion of the Righteous One; Orthros Canon)
Theodosius, Abbot of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves
The founder of the coenobitic life in Russia, each Great Lent Saint Theodosius withdrew to the cave in which he began the ascetic life at the feet of Saint Antony (July 10th). There he prepared for the Feast of Feasts through fasting and prayer, by which he also overcame the repeated assaults of the demons. The holy abbot primarily taught the Faith through prayer, placing a special emphasis on caring for the poor. For his perseverance in prayer and charity, the Lord granted him the ability to cast out unclean spirits, heal the sick, and to know the hearts of those who came to him for help.
Peter the Wonderworker, Bishop of Argos
From a pious family zealous for the Faith, Saint Peter was brought up in the monastic life by his brother, Paul, who instilled in him a love for hesychia. Abandoning himself completely to the ascetic life, he quickly surpassed his brother and was eventually granted the grace of working miracles. Although he tried to avoid it out of humility, he was eventually made Bishop of Argos after the people of city prevailed upon him with tears. The holy bishop immediately became a source of consolation, and no one who came to him left without receiving his help — both physically and spiritually. His charity was so immense before the God, that, by his prayers, the Lord delivered from bondage those who had been possessed by demons. Saint Peter remains the patron and protector of the city of Argos to this day.