Mount Athos - Revision history

Peeperman: /* The twenty self-governing monasteries */

2010-07-11T00:47:11Z

The twenty self-governing monasteries

Irlandos: /* Contemplated postage stamp issue */

2009-02-20T16:20:04Z

Contemplated postage stamp issue

Irlandos at 16:16, February 20, 2009

2009-02-20T16:16:44Z

Irlandos: /* External links */

2009-02-20T16:12:53Z

External links

Irlandos: /* External links */

2009-02-20T16:12:31Z

External links

Irlandos: /* Notes and references */

2009-02-20T16:12:12Z

Notes and references

Irlandos: /* Languages */

2009-02-20T16:11:52Z

Languages

Irlandos: /* Languages */

2009-02-20T16:11:34Z

Languages

Irlandos: /* Modern times */

2009-02-20T16:10:31Z

Modern times

Irlandos: /* Modern times */

2007-08-02T11:16:05Z

Modern times

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 The sovereign monasteries, in the order of their place in the Athonite hierarchy:
 #[[Great Lavra (Athos)|Great Lavra]] (Μεγίστη Λαύρα, ''Megísti Lávra'')
-#[[Vatopedi]] (Βατοπέδι or Βατοπαίδι)
+#[[Vatopedi]] (Βατοπέδι)
 #[[Iviron monastery|Iviron]] (Ιβήρων; ივერთა მონასტერი , ''iverta monasteri'') - built by Georgians
 #[[Hilandar]] (Χιλανδαρίου, ''Chilandariou''; Хиландар) - Serbian

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 ====Contemplated postage stamp issue====
-In the winter of 1915 - 1916 the allied forces were considering occupation of the holy mountain. In anticipation of this they prepared a set of [[postage stamp|stamps]] which were intended for issue on [[25 January]] [[1916]] for the use of the Governing body of the Monastic Republic.
+In the winter of 1915 - 1916 the allied forces were considering occupation of the holy mountain. In anticipation of this they prepared a set of stamps which were intended for issue on [[25 January]] [[1916]] for the use of the Governing body of the Monastic Republic.
 These stamps were produced in sheets of 12, (3 rows of 4), on board the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Six values were produced, ranging up to one shilling, and all were printed in black but on various different paper types.

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 The peninsula was on the invasion route of [[Xerxes I]], who had a channel excavated across the isthmus to allow the passage of his invasion fleet in [[483 BC]].  After the death of [[Alexander the Great]], the architect [[Dinocrates]] (Deinokrates), proposed to carve the entire mountain into a statue of Alexander.
-The history of the peninsula during latter ages is shrouded by the lack of historical accounts. Archaeologists have not been able to determine the exact location of the cities reported by Strabo. It is believed that they must have been deserted when Athos' new inhabitants, the monks, started arriving at some time before the [[7th century AD]].<ref name="Kadas1"> {{cite book |last=Kadas |first=Sotiris |title=The Holy Mountain |publisher=Ekdotike Athenon |location=Athens |language=Greek |id=ISBN 960-213-199-3 |pages=9}} </ref>
+The history of the peninsula during latter ages is shrouded by the lack of historical accounts. Archaeologists have not been able to determine the exact location of the cities reported by Strabo. It is believed that they must have been deserted when Athos' new inhabitants, the monks, started arriving at some time before the [[7th century AD]].<ref name="Kadas1"> Kadas, Sotiris "The Holy Mountain", Ekdotike Athenon, Athens, ISBN 960-213-199-3 </ref>
 ===Early Christianity===
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 Sultan Selim I was a substantial benefactor of the [[Xiropotamou monastery]]. In 1517, he issued a fatwa and a ''hatt-i sharif'', "noble edict" that "the place, where the Holy Gospel is preached, whenever it is burned or even damaged, it shall be erected again." He also endowed privileges to the Abbey and financed the construction of the dining area and underground of the Abbey as well as the renovation of the wall paintings in the central church that were completed between the years 1533-1541.<ref>[http://www.ierissos.gr/en/agiooros_abbey06.htm Municipality of Stagira, Acanthos]</ref>
-Despite the fact that most time the monasteries were left on their own, the Ottomans heavily taxed them and sometimes they seized important land parcels from them. This eventually culminated an economic crisis in Athos during the 17th century. This led to the adoption of the so called "idiorythmic" lifestyle (a semi-eremitic variant of Christian monasticism) by a few monasteries at first and later, during the first half of the 18th century, by all. This new way of monastic organization was an emergency measure taken by the monastic communities to counter their harsh economic environment. Contrary to the cenobitic system, monks in idiorythmic communities have private property, work for themselves, they are solely responsible for acquiring food and other necessities and they dine separately in their cells, only meeting with other monks at church. At the same time, the monasteries' abbots were replaced by committees and at Karyes the Protos was replaced by a four member committee.<ref name="Skadas2">{{cite book |last=Kadas |first=Sotiris |title=The Holy Mountain |publisher=Ekdotike Athenon |location=Athens |language=Greek |id=ISBN 960-213-199-3 |pages=14-16}} </ref>
+Despite the fact that most time the monasteries were left on their own, the Ottomans heavily taxed them and sometimes they seized important land parcels from them. This eventually culminated an economic crisis in Athos during the 17th century. This led to the adoption of the so called "idiorythmic" lifestyle (a semi-eremitic variant of Christian monasticism) by a few monasteries at first and later, during the first half of the 18th century, by all. This new way of monastic organization was an emergency measure taken by the monastic communities to counter their harsh economic environment. Contrary to the cenobitic system, monks in idiorythmic communities have private property, work for themselves, they are solely responsible for acquiring food and other necessities and they dine separately in their cells, only meeting with other monks at church. At the same time, the monasteries' abbots were replaced by committees and at Karyes the Protos was replaced by a four member committee.<ref name="Skadas2"> Kadas, Sotiris "The Holy Mountain", Ekdotike Athenon, Athens, ISBN 960-213-199-3 </ref>
 Russian tsars, and princes from Moldavia, Wallachia and Serbia (until the end of the 15th century) helped the monasteries to survive, offering large donations. The population of monks and their wealth declined over the next centuries, but were revitalized around the [[19th century]]. In [[1912]], during the [[First Balkan War]], the Ottomans were forced out by the Greek Navy.

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 *[http://www.ortodoksi.net/tietopankki/luostarit/athos/exhibition_en.htm Athos - Monastic life on the Holy Mountain (exhibition)] ''(in English and other languages)''
 *[http://abacus.bates.edu/~rallison/friends/ The Friends of Mount Athos]
 *[http://www.halkidiki-online.gr] Information for Mount athos
 *[http://athos.freeservers.com/zivot/zivot.html The Life of the Monks on Athos]

@@ Line 185: / Line 185: @@
 *[[Hesychasm]]
 ==External links==
-{{commonscat}}
 *[http://www.athos.edo.gr Welcome to site "Mount Athos"] - "Mount Athos" site ''(in Greek).''
 *[http://travel.diavlos.gr/halkidiki/halkagio.html The Official Web Server of Mount Athos]'' (in English)''

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 ==Notes and references==
-{{reflist}}
+<references/>
 ==Bibliography==

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 ===Languages===
-[[Greek ;anguage|Greek]] is commonly used in all Greek monasteries, but in some monasteries there are other languages in use, in [[St. Pantaleon Monastery|St Panteleimonos]] Russian (35 monks), in Iviron Georgian (53 monks), in Hilandar Serbian (46), in Zographou Bulgarian (15), and in the sketae of Prodromos and Lacu Romanian (64). Today, many of the Greek monks also speak English. Since there are monks from many nations in Athos (some come as far as Latin America) they also speak their own mother languages.
+[[Greek language|Greek]] is commonly used in all Greek monasteries, but in some monasteries there are other languages in use, in [[St. Pantaleon Monastery|St Panteleimonos]] Russian (35 monks), in Iviron Georgian (53 monks), in Hilandar Serbian (46), in Zographou Bulgarian (15), and in the sketae of Prodromos and Lacu Romanian (64). Today, many of the Greek monks also speak English. Since there are monks from many nations in Athos (some come as far as Latin America) they also speak their own mother languages.
 ===Hospitality===

@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 On September 12, 2004, the [[Patriarch of Alexandria|Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria]], [[Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria|Peter VII]], was killed, together with 16 others, in a helicopter crash in the [[Aegean Sea]] off the peninsula. The Patriarch was heading to Mount Athos. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
-The monasteries of Mount Athos have a history of opposing ecumenism, or movements towards reconciliation between the [[Orthodox Church of Constantinople]] and the Roman Catholic Church. The [[Esphigmenou]] monastery  is particularly outspoken in this respect, having raised black flags to protest against the meeting of [[Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople]] and [[Pope Paul VI]] in 1972 . Esphigmenou was subsequently expelled from the representative bodies of the Athonite Community. The conflict escalated in 2002  with [[Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople]] declaring the monks of Esphigmenou an illegal brotherhood and ordering their eviction; the monks refuse to be evicted, and oppose their replacement with a new brotherhood.
+The monasteries of Mount Athos have a history of opposing ecumenism, or movements towards reconciliation between the [[Orthodox Church of Constantinople]] and the Roman Catholic Church. The [[Esphigmenou]] monastery  is particularly outspoken in this respect, having raised black flags to protest against the meeting of [[Patriarch Athenagoras I]] of [[Constantinople]] and Pope Paul VI in [[1972]] . Esphigmenou was subsequently expelled from the representative bodies of the Athonite Community. The conflict escalated in 2002  with [[Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople]] declaring the monks of Esphigmenou an illegal brotherhood and ordering their eviction; the monks refuse to be evicted, and oppose their replacement with a new brotherhood.
 ====Contemplated postage stamp issue====

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 ===Modern times===
-The self-governed region of the Holy Mountain, according to the Decree passed by the Holy Community on the 3rd October 1913 and according to the international treaties of [[Treaty of London, 1913|London]] (1913), [[Treaty of Bucharest, 1913|Bucharest]] (1913), [[Treaty of Neuilly|Neuilly]] (1919), [[Treaty of Sevres|Sèvres]] (1920) and [[Treaty of Lausanne|Lausanne]] (1923), is considered part of the Greek state. Later a "Special Double Assembly" of the Holy Community in Karyes passed the "Constitutional Map" of the Holy Mountain, which was ratified by the Greek Parliament. This regime originates from the "self-ruled monastic state" as stated on a [[chrysobull]] parchment signed and sealed by the Byzantine Emperor [[John Tzimisces|Ioannis Tsimiskis]] in 972. This important document is preserved in the House of the Holy Administration in Karyes. Independence of the Holy Mountain was later granted again by Emperor [[Alexios I Komnenos]] in 1095. According to the constitution of Greece,<ref name="GreekConstitution">[http://www.hri.org/MFA/syntagma/artcl120.html#A105 Article 105 of the Constitution of Greece] - The regime of Mount Athos. </ref> Mount Athos (the "Monastic State of Aghion Oros") is politically self-governed and consists of 20 main monasteries (which constitute the Holy Community to administer the territory) and the capital city and administrative centre, Karyes, also home to a governor as the representative of the Greek state.  The status of the Holy Mountain was expressly described and ratified upon admission of Greece to the European Union (then the European Community).
+The self-governed region of the Holy Mountain, according to the Decree passed by the Holy Community on the 3rd October 1913 and according to the international treaties of [[Treaty of London, 1913|London]] (1913), [[Treaty of Bucharest, 1913|Bucharest]] (1913), [[Treaty of Neuilly|Neuilly]] (1919), [[Treaty of Sevres|Sèvres]] (1920) and [[Treaty of Lausanne|Lausanne]] (1923), is considered part of the Greek state. Later a "Special Double Assembly" of the Holy Community in Karyes passed the "Constitutional Map" of the Holy Mountain, which was ratified by the Greek Parliament. This regime originates from the "self-ruled monastic state" as stated on a [[chrysobull]] parchment signed and sealed by the Byzantine Emperor [[Ioannis Tsimiskis]] in 972. This important document is preserved in the House of the Holy Administration in Karyes. Independence of the Holy Mountain was later granted again by Emperor [[Alexios I Komnenos]] in 1095. According to the constitution of Greece,<ref name="GreekConstitution">[http://www.hri.org/MFA/syntagma/artcl120.html#A105 Article 105 of the Constitution of Greece] - The regime of Mount Athos. </ref> Mount Athos (the "Monastic State of Aghion Oros") is politically self-governed and consists of 20 main monasteries (which constitute the Holy Community to administer the territory) and the capital city and administrative centre, Karyes, also home to a governor as the representative of the Greek state.  The status of the Holy Mountain was expressly described and ratified upon admission of Greece to the European Union (then the European Community).
 In modern times, the Mount Athos monasteries have repeatedly been struck by wildfires, e.g. in August [[1990]], and in March [[2004]], fire gutted a large section of the Serbian monastery, [[Hilandar]]. Due to the secluded locations of the monasteries, often atop small hills, as well as the unavailability of suitable fire fighting gear, the damages inflicted by these fires are often considerable.