Saint Markellos was from Apamea in Syria. He was the abbot of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones in Constantinople for approximately forty years. He was clairvoyant, a healer and great wonderworker. He spoke with angels and easily defeated demons and drove them out. This holy and glorious man entered into rest in the year 485.
The grace and power of God was made manifest through the Saint in many instances. Below we shall give an account of two instances in which he liberated the demon possessed by divine grace.
Four demonized men were brought before Saint Markellos that he might pray over them. As the demonized men entered the monastery and stood before the Saint, they began to become agitated and utter blasphemies. When the Saint began praying for them, they began shouting even louder: "Command us to come out, since you have received authority from God." The Saint, however, did not wish to rebuke them, but kept staring heavenward and uttering: "O Christ, save Your creatures." After some time praying in this manner, the four men became liberated from the demons, and they were completely cured. Afterwards, some inquired of the Saint why he did not just command the demons to come out, and he answered: "I perceived that they were attempting to cast me into vainglory. For this reason I in no wise spoke to them directly, but only besought the Lord."
Another time, a certain Lazarus was being troubled by a fierce and cruel demon. So violent were the convulsions caused by this possession that his tongue extended and hung from his mouth the length of a span. The wicked demon also made Lazarus do unseemly and shameless things in public, rendering him a pitiful spectacle. Nevertheless, this demon was cast out of Lazarus by the prayers of Saint Markellos.
