ANTIQUE STYLIAN of PAPHLAGONIA GREEK RELIGIOUS HANDPAINTED WOODEN ICON. I’m told that the writing on the upper left side. Is Greek and is of Stylian of Paphalagonia. It has obvious wear for its age. I don’t know the age. And some visible worm holes on the back. Stylian of Paphlagonia was born in. Sometime between AD 400 and 500. He distributed his inheritance among the poor and left the city to live in a monastery. His zealous devotion and asceticism provoked jealousy on the part of other monks, so he left the monastery to live as a hermit in a cave in the wilderness, where he spent his time in prayer and fasting. There, in the peace of the desert, Stylianos had time to observe creation and meditate upon it, and he saw the Creator in all things. His holiness was evident to the people of the surrounding area, and they came to listen to his teaching, or to be cured through his prayers. He knew how to calm troubled souls; other ascetics came to join him. This icon measures 3.75″ wide x 6″ long x 5/8 thick. This piece has been kept in a clean, smoke-free, pet-free home.