Niketas Stethatos was a Byzantine monk, historian, and theologian living in Constantinople around the 11th century. A devoted disciple of Symeon the New Theologian, he eventually rose to become the abbot of the Monastery of Stoudios. He is recognized as a saint within the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Niketas is noted for his courageous defense of hesychast prayer and his significant role in preserving the spiritual legacy of his teacher through extensive biographical and editorial work.