Symeon ‘the Fool’: the demoniac features of an apparently strange monk

Abstract

This paper examines Byzantine fool saints, aiming to verify that the association of these ascetics with demons could be traced back to the first representative of this typology of saints, Symeon of Emesa. Through the study of the Life of Symeon the Fool, by Leontius of Neapolis, Symeon’s actions will be analyzed, trying to identify similarities with various characters linked with demons in Christian moral in order to point out the demoniacal characteristics of Symeon’s behavior.