Niphon of Cyprus

Saint Niphon, bishop of Constantia (Salamis) in Cyprus, was a hierarch of the fourth century, honoured in the Orthodox Church on 23 December. Our sources say his age is not certain: according to some texts he lived in the fourth century, according to others in the eleventh, and it is even possible that the name Niphon is invented, though from the eleventh century it became almost common. According to his life, he died on 23 December 328.

Childhood and straying

He was born in Almyropolis, a town in central Greece, in the family of Agapitus, a local official. His father thought he could not give his son a good education on the spot and consulted Sabbatius, a high official with whom he had become friends after the latter came to Almyropolis by the will of the emperor Constantine the Great. At that time the boy was eight. Sabbatius sent him to Constantinople, into the care of his wife. On the way Niphon suffered from seasickness, and on arrival from homesickness.

At first he studied diligently, showing unusual gifts, application and exemplary conduct. But it did not last long: as he entered youth, he studied ever worse and his conduct became ever more reprehensible, despite corporal punishment from his foster mother. For no visible reason he began to be insolent, to swear foully, to eat and drink without measure, then, in the circle of young people who corrupted him, he became attached to cheap pleasures and at last gave himself to debauchery, saying: "I am lost and can no longer return to repentance, so at least let me enjoy earthly sweets here".

Struggle and return

He did not, however, plunge irretrievably into disorder: from some time on he made many attempts, even to the point of scourging himself harshly, to return to an orderly and even pious life, sometimes receiving "divine signs of his election". After nearly fifteen years he managed to overcome the temptations, but soon he passed through another: the evil one began to make him doubt the very existence of God and tormented him so for four years. Brought to despair, he received support from Jesus Christ, who spoke to him through an icon. With the help of the Most High he rejected the devil's claims and became a steadfast zealot of the faith and an enlightened sage.

His life was spent in churches, on the streets and squares of Constantinople, where he condemned revelry and lack of faith, but without judging people, for once, having judged a man in his mind, he received a sign through an icon of the Mother of God that this was not good. Several times demons approached him without success. His guiding star was the image of the Most Holy Mother of God in a church, through which she gave him signs of attention, approval or reproof. Niphon was neither a priest nor a monk (though in some Slavic lives he is called "mnikh", that is, monk), and his circle of acquaintance was made up of craftsmen.

Episcopate and repose

Toward the end of his earthly life, Niphon went to Alexandria and, though he resisted, Archbishop Alexander ordained him bishop of the city of Constantia. In the original Life this was one of the cities of Cyprus, the former Salamis. He was bishop three years and died on 23 December 328. At his departure from this life Saint Athanasius of Alexandria was present, and proclaimed Niphon a saint. He was buried in the church of the Holy Apostles, of which nothing more is known.

Veneration

The memory of the unyielding, long-⁠time fighter against the demons has been kept in lives, hymnography, iconography and present-⁠day publications. In the printed service books of today, in Russian and Greek, there is no service for Saint Niphon of Cyprus, but in old manuscript Menaia there are hymns to him under 23 December: a kontakion in tone one with an oikos, an anonymous canon without acrostic in plagal tone four, and a canon of the hymnographer Daniel, with an acrostic, in plagal tone two.