By Fr. George Dorbarakis
Venerable Daniel lived during the reign of the great Emperor Leo the Thracian, the Butcher. He came from Mesopotamia, in the region of Samosata, from a village called Maroutha; his parents were named Elias and Martha. After his fifth year of age, his parents placed him in a monastery, where he excelled in the ascetic life. When he had already advanced in asceticism, he went to Saint Symeon the Stylite and was blessed by him. By divine revelation, he came to the regions of Thrace, near Byzantium, in the area of Anaplus. There he enclosed himself in a certain pagan temple and endured many demonic temptations. Afterwards he ascended a column, demonstrating great asceticism and patience, in heat and in cold, exposed to the assaults of the winds. He performed many miracles, to such an extent that the fame of his virtue reached Emperor Leo, as well as his successor Zeno and the usurper Basiliscus. They visited and venerated the Saint, and he foretold to them the things that were about to happen, thus helping the holy Church, which was being attacked by heretics. He lived his life in a holy and blameless way and departed to the Lord.
