SAINTS ATHANASIUS THE JAILER AND ZOSIMUS THE HERMITE

The story of the jailer Athanasius and the hermit Zosimus resembles a children’s fairy tale: there are talking animals, there is escape from danger, and, most importantly, there is great salvific grace. The life has amazingly rich semantics. Could it be that Dostoevsky, even without knowing it itself, was inspired by these images and names?

1 " Now I love God: men, I do not love. Man is a thing too imperfect for me. Love to man would be fatal to me. That is why I did go into the forest and the desert," begins Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844–1900) philosophical novel. These are the words of a hermit, spoken to Zarathustra, whom he tried to stop from going out to the people. Nietzsche was the son of a pastor. But he could hardly have guessed that he was accurately reproducing the beginning of the life of Saint Zosimus of Cilicia.

2 Zosima was a solitary ascetic who lived in the ancient historical region of Cilicia, not far from the city of Anazarbus. Following the tradition of Syrian ascetics, he subjected himself to extreme exhaustion, which earned him the amazing trust of wild animals, with whom, according to his life story, he conversed as with people. Once, a local ruler was hunting in that area and saw Zosimus. Not understanding how it was possible to be among wild animals and remain unharmed, he accused him of magic.

3 “I do not live in the desert for magic; but being a Christian myself, I cannot live in the city with unbelievers, so I went into the desert, preferring to live with animals rather than with evil people,” he said in his defense. The saint was captured and subjected to the most severe torments. First, there was torture, and then public punishment. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a lion appeared, one of the beasts that had surrounded the saint during his lifetime and visibly stood up for him. This incredible sign led to the conversion of the jailer, named Athanasius. Taking advantage of the general confusion, all three, Athanasius, Zosimus, and the lion, fled.

4 The life of the saints does not mention how the rest of Athanasius and Zosimus’ biographies unfolded, whether they spent the rest of their days in asceticism or were found by pagans and executed. In any case, the ancient menologies refer to them as martyrs. The name “Zosimus” is derived from the Greek concept of “life,” while Athanasius means “immortal.” The names of these two saints, Zosimus the Ascetic and his jailer Athanasius, have remarkable semantics. Their joint memory is celebrated by the Orthodox Church twice a year, on January 17 and October 2.