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His memory is celebrated on [[May 29]], <ref name=SYNAX>Great Synaxaristes: {{el icon}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3462/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Εὐθύμιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας Ἐπίσκοπος Ζήλων].'' ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. 29 Μαΐου.</ref> as well as on the Sunday before the [[Elevation of the Holy Cross|Exaltation of the Holy Cross]].<ref name=SYNAX/><ref group="note">On 4 November 1992, the Holy Synod of the [[Church of Greece]] unanimously declared Bp. [[Chrysostomos (Kalafatis) of Smyrna|Chrysostomos of Smyrna]] (†1922) an Ethnomartyr and a Saint of the Orthodox Church, to be jointly commemorated on the Sunday before the Feast of the [[Elevation of the Holy Cross]], together with four other Holy Hierarchs of Asia Minor including: :* Bp. [[w:Ambrosios Pleianthidis|Ambrosios of Moschonision]] (†1922);:* '''Bp. Euthymios (Agritellis) of Zela (†1921)''';:* Bp. [[Gregory (Orologas) of Kydonies|Gregorios of Kidonion]] (†1922); and:* Bp. Procopius of [[w:Konya|Iconium]].Their ranking to the chorus of the Saints, was '''formally''' announced in: :* '''Encyclical 2556, of 5 July 1993''', of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece :* {{el icon}} Εγκύκλιος 2556 της 5ης Ιουλίου 1993 της Ιεράς Συνόδου της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος).::*<small>{{el icon}} Κων/τίνος Β. Χιώλος. ''"[http://www.serrelib.gr/arthra.php?id=25 Ο μαρτυρικός θάνατος του Μητροπολίτου Σμύρνης]"''. Δημοσια Κεντρικη Βιβλιοθηκη Σερρων. Τετάρτη, 13 Σεπτεμβρίου 2006.</small></ref>
==BiographyEarly life==Saint Euthymios was born in on July 6, 1872 1876 in the village of Parakoula on Lesvos[[w:Lesbos|Lesbos]] island, where he started his education. At the age of nine, he entered the 'Leimonias school', located within the [[w:Saint Ignatios Monastery|Leimonos Monastery]] , from where he graduated in 1892.<ref name=THE/><ref group="note">Founded in 1526 by Ignatios Agallianos, who is celebrated today as a childsaint by the Greek Orthodox Church, and was the '''Monastery of Leimon''' ('''[[Tonsurew:Saint Ignatios Monastery|tonsuredLeimonos Monastery]] ''') has played a monk eight years later, very significant role in 1899, with the church history of [[Hegumenw:Lesbos|Lesbos]] Archmandrite Anthimos Georgiellis giving him island, at the name Euthymioscentre of which it is located. The ''' 'Leimonias school' ''' was the first school to be established on Lesbos after the occupation of the island by the Ottoman Turks (1462-1912), and for quite a long period it was the only one that existed.:*<small>''[http://xinergie.org/xristos/?show=leimonos Leimonos Monastery].'' Xristos Research Centre! Retrieved: 12 August, 2014. </small></ref>
In 1921, by 1910 he was ordained a decision of the Kemalist government, all the Metropolitans, Bishops, and Archimandrites of the Pontus region were obliged to abandon Pontus and leave their seats. The only hierarchs who did not obey this order were Metropolitan Chrysanthos of Trebizond, Bishop Euthymios, and the [[Protosyngellos]] Archimandrite of [[w:Amasya ProvincePresbyter|Amasyapriest]] Platon Aivazidis. It was because of his actions in support by Metropolitan Stephen (Soulidis) of the Greek side in the [[w:Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)Mithymna|War in Asia MinorMethymna]] that he was captured by , and served as the Turkish armed forces on [[January 21Protosyngellos]], 1921. After suffering terrible tortures he gave up his soul to of the Lord on [[May 29]]th, 1921Metropolis of Methymna until 1912.<ref name=SYNAX/>
===Adversity and War===
Throughout the [[w:World War I|First World War]] he urged all of the schools and the people of [[w:Pontus|Pontus]] to remain united in remembrance of an annual ethnic ceremony which commemorated the female mass suicide of 30-40 young girls from the village of Hazar in 1680, who preferred to fall from a fortress (known as the 'fortress of Ali') into a 150 meter precipice, rather than to fall into the hands of the Turks. This ceremony was observed on the anniversary of [[March 25]]th each year in remembrance of the self-sacrifice of the young girls.<ref name=SYNAX/><ref group="note">Due to a campaign by the forces of Hassan Ali Bey to capture young girls in order to send them to the [[w:Slavery in the Ottoman Empire|slave markets of Anatolia]], in 1680 a large number of women and young girls entered into the fortress of Ali (later called "Kızkalesi" - "Maiden's castle"), in order to escape being taken and enslaved. After being besieged for 48 days, some of them lost their senses, others died of hunger and thirst, and others escaped secretly and surrendered to the forces of the [[w:derebey|derebey]], since they could no longer withstand the hardships. However one group of 30-40 young girls, unwilling to be captured, climbed to the highest summit of the fortress, from where they fell and committed suicide. After these events took place in the region of [[w:Bafra|Pafra]], an uprising of a number of courageous Greeks took place who climbed the surrounding mountains and armed themselves, making reprisals on the forces of the [[w:derebey|derebey]], undertaking an unequal but virtuous struggle against the Turkish oppressors.<br>A '''[[w:Greek dances|Greek dance]] that was danced in [[w:Bafra|Pafra]]''' in order to commemorate the 30-40 young girls from the village of Hazar who preferred to fall into the 150 meter precipice – is variously known as the:
:* 'Thanati Laggeman' (Θανατί Λάγγεμαν); or
:* 'Kizlar Choplamasi' (Κιζλάρ Χοπλαμασί) – which in Turkish means ''"The Girls' Jump"''; or
:* 'Kizlar Kaïtesi' (Κιζλάρ Καϊτεσί) - ''"the musical purpose of the girls";''
The dance portrays the movements of the girls as they jumped into the void to meet death on the steep and sharp rocks. The musical instruments that were used were the flute (ζουρνάς) with the [[w:Davul|Davul]] (νταούλι), and the [[w:Lyre|Lyre]] (λύρα) to a lesser extent. A similar mass female suicide took place in Eprius in 1803, known as the '''[[w:Dance of Zalongo|Dance of Zalongo]]'''
:*<small>{{el icon}} ''[http://greveniotis.gr/index.php/istoria-laografia/2597-kizlar-kaitesi-to-agnosto-zaloggo-tou-pontou KIZLAR KAITESI! Το άγνωστο “Ζάλογγο” του ΠΟΝΤΟΥ!!!]'' Greveniotis.gr (Newspaper). October 30, 2013. Retrieved: 13 August, 2014.</small></ref>
In April 1917 a large force of the Turkish army encircled the monastery of the Theotokos on Mount Neltes in Maara, encircling 650 women and children and 60 armed rebels. After six days of resistance most of the besieged were killed or committed suicide. In 1919, in response to this act, on the forefeast of the [[Dormition|Dormition of the Theotokos]], Euthymios gathered 12,000 insurgents outside of the small town of Tsasur (Tsassour), under the command of Kyriakos Papadopoulos,<ref group="note">For a discussion of Kyriakos Papadopoulos, see:
:* {{el icon}} Αντώνης Ι. Ζαρκανέλας (Πρ. Γενικός Διεθυντής Ανάπτυξης, Νομαρχίας Θεσσαλονίκης). ''[http://katerini-news.gr/%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B1/%CE%BF-%CE%BA%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%AC%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B6%CE%B1%CE%BA-%CE%BA%CF%85%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%82-%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%B4%CF%8C%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82-%CE%BF-%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B7%CE%B3%CF%8C%CF%82 Ο Κισάμπατζακ (Κυριάκος Παπαδόπουλος) ο αρχηγός].'' Katerini News. Retrieved: 13 August, 2014.</ref> resulting in the complete destruction of the Turkish armed forces and the town. From that day onwards Euthymios was considered a wanted man by the Kemalist Turks who viewed him as a leader of the insurgents of Western Pontus.<ref name=SYNAX/> He and other notables were restricted in their activities and suffered due to the interrogations they underwent. The jails were filled with Christians of every age and social status. Everywhere there was exile, the gallows, disgrace, and the sword and fire.<ref name=THE/>
In 1921, by a decision of the [[w:Government of the Grand National Assembly|Kemalist government]], all the Metropolitans, Bishops, and Archimandrites of the [[w:Pontus|Pontus]] region were obliged to abandon Pontus and leave their seats. The only hierarchs who did not obey this order were Metropolitan [[Chrysanthos (Philippidis) of Athens|Chrysanthos (Philippidis) of Trebizond]], Bishop Euthymios of Zela, and [[Protosyngellos]] [[Archimandrite]] [[:el:Πλάτων Αϊβαζίδης|Platon (Aivazidis) of Amasya]].<ref name=SYNAX/>
===Imprisonment and Martyrdom===
On January 21, 1921, the Kemalists captured Bishop Efthymios and Archimandrite Platon (Aivazidis), along with many other notables of the city of Amasya. [[w:Amasya trials|They were condemned to death]], and were imprisoned in the Souyia prison in Amasya.<ref name=SYNAX/>
Aware of the ill-treatments and tortures of those arrested with him, and desiring to relieve their suffering, he appealed to the Kemalist government of Ankara to be regarded as the only culprit, and to be the only one punished, in order to allow his fellow prisoners to be released. However he received no response.<ref name=THE/>
His imprisonment continued relatively mildly until April 18, 1921, the day of [[Pascha]]. On that day, without being noticed by the jailer, he entered a hall where many expatriates were being detained in isolation, in order to console and encourage them. As a result of this action he became even more suspect, and was isolated in the damp basements of the jails from then onwards. It was through the testimony of other prisoners that were released, that his tortures were made publicly known afterwards, affirming his isolation and sufferings in prison. Sometimes his voice would be heard chanting the [[Memorial Services|memorial service]] for the repose of departed, which he was chanting on his own behalf.<ref name=THE/>
On the forty-first day of his isolation, on [[May 29]], 1921, completely exhausted from the hardships, deprivations and tortures, he gave up his soul to the Lord and received the incorruptible [[w:Crown_of_Immortality#Crown_of_martyrdom|crown of martyrdom]].<ref name=LEIMONOS>''[http://84.205.233.134/euthimios_en.php St. Efthymios Agritellis]''. Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegial Leimonos Monastery. Retrieved: 12 August, 2014.</ref> It was the [[w:Irony#Cosmic_irony_.28Irony_of_fate.29|irony of fate]] that his conviction from the high court in Ankara arrived after his death, with the sentence being the 'Independence of death'. Nevertheless, his dead body was hanged in the central square of the town together with the others who had been sentenced to death including politicians, businessmen, journalists and religious figures of the local Greek community.<ref name=Tsirkinides>Charēs Tsirkinidēs. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=xWBoAAAAMAAJ&q=inauthor:%22Char%C4%93s+Tsirkinid%C4%93s%22&dq=inauthor:%22Char%C4%93s+Tsirkinid%C4%93s%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=38XuU5q9Ks3_yQTJhoG4DA&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAQ At Last we Uprooted them: The Genocide of Greeks of Pontos, Thrace and Asia Minor through French Archives].'' Thessaloniki: Kyriakidis Brothers, 1999. p. 192 ISBN 9789603434788.</ref><ref group="note">"...sentenced to death 177 Greeks who were executed. Included among them was Zelon Euthemios, assistant bishop of Amassea, who died in prison from typhus, ...he ordered even the dead to be hanged with the others. Also sentenced to death in absentia were 44 Greeks..."
:*<small>Charēs Tsirkinidēs. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=xWBoAAAAMAAJ&q=inauthor:%22Char%C4%93s+Tsirkinid%C4%93s%22&dq=inauthor:%22Char%C4%93s+Tsirkinid%C4%93s%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=38XuU5q9Ks3_yQTJhoG4DA&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAQ At Last we Uprooted them: The Genocide of Greeks of Pontos, Thrace and Asia Minor through French Archives].'' Thessaloniki: Kyriakidis Brothers, 1999. p. 192 ISBN 9789603434788.</small></ref> Afterwards his guardians buried him quietly in the courtyard of the adjacent church.
Thus the Bishop of Zela sealed the good course of his life, by preferring [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|faith]] and country over death, and becoming a forerunner of other Ethnomartyr hierarchs, which were to be martyred in the following catastrophic year for Hellenism (that is, the Asia Minor Catastrophe) in 1922.<ref name=THE/>
On May 30, 1936 on the fifteenth anniversary of his martyrdom, the [[w:Saint Ignatios Monastery|Leimonos Monastery]] in Lesbos celebrated the unveiling of his [[w:Bust (sculpture)|bust]]. Since then the white likeness of his image reminds pilgrims of the sacrifice of a shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep and remained faithful unto death.<ref name=THE/>
==Glorification==
In 1992 Euthymios was numbered among the chorus of the Saints by the [[Holy Synod]] of the [[Church of Greece]].<ref name=SYNAX/>
In 1998 a chapel was built in honour of the Saint at [[w:Saint Ignatios Monastery|Leimonos Monastery]], in the Holy Metropolis of [[w:Mithymna|Methymna]].<ref name=SYNAX/>
Among the manuscripts at Leimonos Monastery, there are fifty items written in his hand, most of which are notebooks from the time of his studies in [[Theological School of Halki|Halki]].<ref name=LEIMONOS/>
==See also==
* [[w:Amasya trials|Amasya trials]]
* [[w:Greek genocide|Greek genocide]]
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{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of [[w:Zile|Zela ]] (Pontus[[w:Amasya Province|Amasya]])|years=1911-June 12, 1912 – May 29, 1921<ref name=THE/>|after=&mdashndash;<br>(extinct)}}
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==Notes==
<references group="note" />
==References==
<div><references/></div>
==Sources==
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]
[[Category:20th-century saints]]
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Zela]]
[[Category:Martyrs]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Greek Saints]]
[[Category:Modern Saints]]
[[Category:Theological School of Halki Graduates]]
