Career

He is sometimes referred to as Isaac the Dalmatian, not because he was from Dalmatia, but because of the monastery which he founded. According to some accounts, Isaac was a Syrian, but this is uncertain. Neither is anything known for certain about his early life.

What is known is that Isaac had been a hermit living in a small hut in the wilderness outside of Constantinople.

At the time, the emperor was preparing a military campaign against the Goths. After several attempts to dissuade the emperor from his persecutions, Isaac prophesied that Valens would "die in flames" because of his actions.

The emperor ordered that Isaac be thrown into prison, vowing that he would punish Isaac and put him to death upon his return from battle. Soon after, on August 9, 378, Valens was defeated at the Battle of Adrianople and died in a fire after taking refuge in a barn.

Isaac wanted to return to monastic life in the wilderness, but a wealthy aristocrat named Saturninus built a monastery for Isaac in Constantinople, over which he became the first hegumen (abbot).

At the end of his life, he entrusted the leadership of the monastery to his closest disciple, Dalmatus—who was later himself glorified (canonized as a saint)—after whom the monastery came to be known as the Dalmatian Monastery. Isaac died in his monastery on May 30, 383, although others place his death around 396. The life of John Chrysostom includes mention of Saint Isaac living into the fifth century.

Among the former, his feast day falls on May 30, and he is also commemorated together with other saints from his monastery on August 3.

He was adopted as the patron saint of the Romanov dynasty by Peter the Great of Russia, whose birthday fell on Saint Isaac"s feast day, May 30. Saint Isaac"s Cathedral in the city of Street St. Petersburg is consecrated to his honour.