Evarestos 1 was born in Galatia (πατρὶς μὲν ἦν τῷ ὁσίῳ ἡ ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ Ἀσίᾳ τῶν Γαλατῶν ἐπαρχίᾳ), on 17 April 819 (the year of the world 6327, the sixth year of Leo, on 17 April, which was Easter Sunday); his parents (cf. Anonymus 218) were pious people, of medium rank (οὐ κατὰ πολὺ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἐνδεεστέροι), but excellent character: Vita S. Evaristi 2 (pp. 296-297), Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348. His original name was Sergios, changed to Evarestos when he became a monk (see below). He had a sister who became a nun and who outlived him (see Anonyma 23): Vita S. Evaristi 44 (p. 323). He also had a niece, Ioulitta 1, whose mother was Evarestos's sister (whether the same as Anonyma 23 or another is not clear): Vita S. Evaristi 25 (p. 314). An aunt of his (Anonyma 24) married the patrikios Bryennios 2: Vita S. Evaristi 6 (p. 300) (ἐξαδελφιδοῦς γὰρ ἦν ὁ Εὐάρεστος τῆς γυναικὸς Βρυαινίου).

His parents sent him to school in his home town, where he was a keen student and preferred his studies to joining the other children in their pursuits: Vita S. Evaristi 4 (pp. 298-299), Synax. Eccl. Const. 347- 348.

Described as very good natured and popular, always ready to help people, and from an early age inspired by a divine zeal: Vita S. Evaristi 5 (pp. 299-300). He conceived the idea of becoming a monk but felt unable to achieve his wish unless he could leave his home town; then his father took him to see Constantinople where they visited the churches and holy places and stayed at the house of his wealthy relative, Bryainios (Bryennios 2); after a few days his father returned home and left Evarestos 1 with Bryennios 2, who, finding him well disposed and loyal, made him a member of his staff (τοῖς πρωτοῖς ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτον ὑπηρέταις ἐγκαταλέγει); this was during the reign of the emperor Theophilos 5; while Evarestos 1 was in Bryennios 2's service, Theophilos 5 died: Vita S. Evaristi 6 (pp. 300-301), Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348.

Under Theodora 2, Bryennios 2 was sent on an embassy to the Bulgars and Evarestos 1 had to accompany him; at Probaton in Thrace, while the embassy was resting, Evarestos 1 heard of some holy men living nearby at a place called Skopelos; his longing to become a monk was rekindled by reading a work of Ephrem the Syrian, which he obtained from someone local, and he slipped away from the embassy party, without saying a word to anyone, to go to Skopelos, where he went to live with a holy man, Ioannes 220, and his companion; he remained with them for about six months: Vita S. Evaristi 7 (pp. 301-302), Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348. They then sent him to Constantinople with a letter of introduction to the hegoumenos of the Stoudite monastery, Naukratios 1, who was soon convinced of his suitability to become a monk; he therefore gave Evarestos 1 the monastic habit and changed his name from Sergios, his original name, to Evarestos, and put him to serve in the monastery's refectory, in order to test his qualities (διακονεῖν τε τοῦτον προσέταξεν ἐνθὰ τῶν βρωμάτων ἡ ἀπόθεσις ἐταμιεύετο καὶ ὑπηρετεῖν ταῖς χρείαις τῶν μοναχῶν): Vita S. Evaristi 8 (pp. 302-303), cf. Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348. The date of Evarestos 1's entry into the monastery of the Stoudites is put by Van den Vorst in 843 and the embassy of Bryennios 2 in 842 or 843; his arguments, that the Stoudite monks only returned to their monastery under Theodora 2 in 843 and that by 848 (the death of Naukratios 1) Evarestos 1 was already an established and experienced monk, are persuasive rather than conclusive.

Evarestos 1 modelled himself on another monk called Eubiotos 1, sharing with him his cell and food and living with him a life of great austerity and abstinence: Vita S. Evaristi 9-10 (pp. 303-305), Synax. Eccl. Const. 347- 348. After a while they left the monastery secretly and retired together to one of the islands in the Propontis in order to intensify their ascetic way of life; their whereabouts were discovered and they were summoned back to the monastery by Naukratios 1: Vita S. Evaristi 11 (pp. 305-306).

After Naukratios 1 died (in 848) and was succeeded as hegoumenos by Nikolaos 26, the new hegoumenos transferred Evarestos 1 from his existing duties to be second oikonomos in charge of the administration of the monastery (τὸν Ἐυάρεστον ἀφαιρεῖται ἐξ ἧς εἴχετο λειτουργίας καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκονομίαν μεταβίβαζει, ταύτης αὐτῷ ἐγχείρισας τὰ δεύτερα); Evarestos 1 is described as someone ready to undertake any task asked of him and as one who could be relied on not only to do what was required but to exceed it; when he was asked on occasion to give his opinion and advice, his response was found always wise and prudent; he was therefore in great demand: Vita S. Evaristi 12 (p. 306), cf. Vita Nic. Stud. 912A (a disciple of Nikolaos 26, who summoned him to the new monastery, where he was a great success).

During the time of Nikolaos 26 there occurred a great dissension in the Church (not identified, but probably that over the dismissal of the patriarch Ignatios 1 and his replacement by Photios 1, in late 858) and Nikolaos 26 left the monastery, followed by other monks, who left in twos and threes; Evarestos 1 left in company with Paphnoutios 1, another monk noted for his piety, and they wandered hither and thither for a time until they were invited by a wealthy man, Samuel 1, to take shelter under his roof, in Constantinople; they lived then under his care and protection: Vita S. Evaristi 13 (pp. 306-307). Meanwhile Nikolaos 26, during his wanderings, fell ill and wanted only Evarestos 1 to attend him; Evarestos 1 therefore went to him and tended him; before Nikolaos 26 had properly recovered, he was summoned to an interview with the emperor Michael III (Michael 11) and he went, accompanied still by Evarestos 1, to the imperial court: Vita S. Evaresti 14 (pp. 307-308). After the interview Evarestos 1 returned with Nikolaos 26 to the house of Samuel 1; the number of monks flocking there to rejoin their former hegoumenos was so great that Samuel 1 purchased a separate property nearby, in the district of Kokkorobion, and gave it to Nikolaos 26 for a monastery; subsequently the monastery of Kokkorobion grew in strength through the efforts of Evarestos 1, who remained there after Nikolaos 26 returned to the Stoudite monastery during the reign of Basil I (see below): Vita S. Evaristi 15-16 (pp. 308-309).

During a visit to Evarestos 1 at Kokkorobion, Nikolaos 26 fell ill and was carried back to the Stoudite monastery to die; before he left, he appointed Evarestos 1 to be hegoumenos of the monastery of Kokkorobion (τὸν μὲν Εὐάρεστον εἶναι τοῦ ἐνταῦθα καταγωγίου κύριον καὶ δεσπότην) with Paphnoutios 1 as his oikonomos: Vita S. Evaristi 17-18 (pp. 309-310). The date was early 868; see Nikolaos 26. Henceforth Evarestos 1 lived in his own cell and followed a life of great self-denial, filled with hardship, fasting and prayer; he was notably generous towards the poor, beggars and strangers, impressed visitors by the gentleness of his manner and the honeyed quality of his speech and was a very effective pastor when teaching and advising wrongdoers: Vita S. Evaristi 19-23 (pp. 311-314).

During his lifetime he made prophecies and performed miracle cures, and after his death the miracles continued, at his tomb, down to the time when the author of the Vita was writing: Vita S. Evaristi 24 (p. 314). A number of miracles performed during his lifetime are described (cf. e.g. Anonyma 8, Eirene 7, Ioulitta 1, Photeinos 10, Sergia 1 and Sisinno 1): Vita S. Evaristi 25-40 (pp. 314-319).

Shortly before he died he foretold his impending death to one of the elderly monks at the Stoudite monastery: Vita S. Evaristi 41 (p. 320). He died after a short illness, surrounded by visitors, in the Stoudite monastery, at the age of seventy-nine: Vita S. Evaristi 42 (pp. 320-321), Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348. He was buried in the monastery of the Kokkorobion: Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348. He died on Christmas Day in the year of the world 6406 (i.e. on 25 December 897): Vita S. Evaristi 43 (pp. 321-322). His entry in the Synaxarium is under 26 December: Synax. Eccl. Const. 347-348. The author describes a number of miracles that occurred after his death at his tomb: Vita S. Evaristi 44-47 (pp. 323-324).

For further references, see Synax. Eccl. Const. 353,34 (28 Dec.); 353,48 (29 Dec.); Typicon Mateos 159 Krit. App. (Codd. Fa, Ox on 26 Dec.); Patria Const., p. 277, lines 7-9.

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