Man of God of Edessa

Anonymous protagonist of a hagiographic narrative set in Edessa in the 5th cent.; later versions name the saint Alexius.

This general title is given to the anonymous saintly protagonist of a narrative set in Edessa in the 5th cent. The core original story is found in 5 mss. In this account, the Man of God is the son of rich senatorial parents, living either in Rome or Constantinople. On the eve of an advantageous marriage, he boarded a ship and eventually ended up in Edessa. Although sought for, he was not found but, one night, his saintly quality was discovered by the custodian of a church in Edessa. Questioned as to his identity by the custodian, he first identified himself as one of the anonymous poor, but later told his story to the custodian on condition that his identity not be revealed. When the Man of God fell sick, the custodian placed him in a house for strangers. The custodian had to leave the city for a while and, during his absence, the Man of God died and was buried with the poor. Distraught at the news, the custodian besought Bp. Rabbula to help find the saint’s body and give it proper reverence. When they entered the place where the poor were buried, only the clothes of the Man of God were found, not his corpse. Bp. Rabbula promised never to build anything more except hospices for the poor and strangers. The whole story contrasts strongly with other narratives of Syr. saints who performed miracles and prodigious feats of asceticism. A narrative similar to this is found in a Greek ms., but the bp.’s name is not given and details place the story at a later date than Rabbula.

The core Syriac narrative then is continued in the tradition. In this development, the Man of God did not actually die, but left Edessa to escape notice. He returned to his parents’ house and lived in it unbeknownst to them. When he died, his sanctity and identity were miraculously revealed and miracles occurred round his tomb. His parents were given names and, later in the tradition, the Man of God received a name, Alexius. Under this name, the tradition spread widely in the European tradition. His feast day in the Roman church is 17 July.