Stylite
The stylites (of στύλος , column ) are Ermites beginnings of Christianity, Anachorètes, which placed their cell at the top of a ruin, colonnade, gantry or column to practice a extreme Ascèse there.
Siméon Stylite is most famous of them.
History
The 4th century, having seen ceasing persecutions of the Christians, saw the monks hermits thus taking over martys in popular enthusiasm.
Until the 7th century, men thus left to live alone, in Egypt, Syria and in all is Mediterranean basin, imposing sharp mortifications.
Some lived, such Siméon Stylite all their life in top of a column, eating only what one wanted to bring to them well, others lived of wild grass, sleeping on the ground or in trees, and all had like single occupation the permanent prayer, loneliness and silence.
Then, the cenobitic life took the step on the eremitic life , especially starting from the Moyen-âge, under the impulse of Saint Benoit.