This article aims to confirm the account from eodore Lector with the other extant sources and the answer the question if the four churches in Constantinople (The Blachernae Church, Chalkoprateia, Hodegon, Church of St. Laurence, attributed to the empress Pulcheria in Theodore Lector’s work may be credited to her.
The article is concerned with the eating habits of the monks of Palestine in the 5th–6th centuries. It has been based on and draws from a number of contemporary sources. The staple in themonks’ daily diet was bread, which would be usually eaten with salt. It was made in bakeries that were, along with the church, the most important buildings within the precincts of each monastery, several times during a year and then dried. In addition to the bread, the staple items of foodincluded vegetables (cooked or fresh), most oen grown in or near the monastery precincts, orpossibly also provided by the faithful. The monasteries, both lauras and coenobitic establishments, had their own vegetable gardens, but the monks would also eat various wild plants. They would drink water, wine, as well as the eukration (a mixture of water and herbs).
The work by Ciri of Scythopolis titled 'The lives of Monks of Palestine' is an irreplacable source of knowledge to reveal a range of aspects connected with the beginning and flourishing of monasticism in he Judaean Desert. Palestinian monasticism, multi-ethnic in its source, managed to preserve its cosmpolitism at the time of its greatest development that took place in 6th century. Monks came from area of whole Empire, however among monks in the Judaean Desert, there dominated those who derived from Asia Minor and other areas of the eastern part of the Empire. We easily notice both regional and family bond among them.
The problem of went by time is very often in The Lives of the Monks of Palestine written about by Cyril of Scythopolis, famous monk and writer, who lived during first part of VIth century. His main heroes lived very long e.g. Cyriacos died when he was 107, Eutymios – 97, Saba – 94, John Hesychast – 104, Teodosius – 99, – such age was a sign of God’s mercy. Cyril used to write about old monk who was a teacher to young ones, and he created a topos: old means wise, experience; youth – impatience, and to be open for everything which come from laic world. Cyril wrote we shouldn’t be afraid of old age, on the contrary we should wait for this. Old men did wonderful things by founding monasteries, working miracles, playing active in religion and politics. They were paragon of virtue to everyone. What monks at the Judean Desert did to live so long. The first thing was God’s mercy, but the secondo one – very special diet – almost vegetarian.
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