Difference between revisions of "Mount Athos"
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| + | [[Image:Athos.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mount Athos as seen from the ridge road]] | ||
'''Mount Athos''' is a mountain and a peninsula in Macedonia, northern Greece, called <font lang="el">Άγιο Όρος</font> (''Ayio Oros'' or "Holy Mountain") in Modern Greek, or <font lang="el">Ἅγιον Ὄρος</font> (''Hagion Oros'') in Classical Greek. It is home to 20 [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] [[monastery|monasteries]] and forms an autonomous state under Greek sovereignty. Only [[monasticism|monks]] are allowed to live on Athos and the current population numbers around 1,400. The peninsula, the easternmost "leg" of the larger Chalkidiki peninsula, protrudes into the Aegean Sea for some 60 km at a width between 7 to 12 km and covers an area of about 390 km², with the actual mountain and its steep, densely forested slopes reaching up to 2,033 m. | '''Mount Athos''' is a mountain and a peninsula in Macedonia, northern Greece, called <font lang="el">Άγιο Όρος</font> (''Ayio Oros'' or "Holy Mountain") in Modern Greek, or <font lang="el">Ἅγιον Ὄρος</font> (''Hagion Oros'') in Classical Greek. It is home to 20 [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] [[monastery|monasteries]] and forms an autonomous state under Greek sovereignty. Only [[monasticism|monks]] are allowed to live on Athos and the current population numbers around 1,400. The peninsula, the easternmost "leg" of the larger Chalkidiki peninsula, protrudes into the Aegean Sea for some 60 km at a width between 7 to 12 km and covers an area of about 390 km², with the actual mountain and its steep, densely forested slopes reaching up to 2,033 m. | ||
The seas around the end of the peninsula can be dangerous. Xerxes I had a channel excavated across the isthmus to allow the passage of his invasion fleet in 483 BC. | The seas around the end of the peninsula can be dangerous. Xerxes I had a channel excavated across the isthmus to allow the passage of his invasion fleet in 483 BC. | ||
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== History == | == History == | ||
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Mount Athos as a monastic community was formally founded in 963, when St. [[Athanasius of Athos|Athanasius]] (not to be confused with the 4th century St. [[Athanasius the Great]]) established the monastery of [[Great Lavra]], still the largest and most prominent of the 20 monasteries. It enjoyed the protection of the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire during the following centuries and its wealth and possessions grew considerably. The [[Fourth Crusade]] in the 13th century brought new [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] overlords which forced the monks to seek protection from Pope Innocent III, until the restoration of the Byzantine Empire. It was raided by Catalan mercenaries in the 14th century, a century that also saw the theological conflict over the [[hesychasm]] practised on Mount Athos and defended by [[Gregory Palamas]]. | Mount Athos as a monastic community was formally founded in 963, when St. [[Athanasius of Athos|Athanasius]] (not to be confused with the 4th century St. [[Athanasius the Great]]) established the monastery of [[Great Lavra]], still the largest and most prominent of the 20 monasteries. It enjoyed the protection of the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire during the following centuries and its wealth and possessions grew considerably. The [[Fourth Crusade]] in the 13th century brought new [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] overlords which forced the monks to seek protection from Pope Innocent III, until the restoration of the Byzantine Empire. It was raided by Catalan mercenaries in the 14th century, a century that also saw the theological conflict over the [[hesychasm]] practised on Mount Athos and defended by [[Gregory Palamas]]. | ||
The Byzantine Empire collapsed in the 15th century and the newly established [[Islam|Islamic]] Ottoman Empire took over. They heavily taxed the monasteries, but for the most part left them alone. The population of monks and their wealth declined over the next centuries, but was revitalised around the 19th century by the donations and new arrivals from other Orthodox countries, such as Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, while each country came to exert its influence on individual monasteries. In 1912, during the First Balkan War, the Ottomans were forced out and after a brief conflict between Greece and Russia over sovereignty, the peninsula formally came under Greek sovereignty after World War I. | The Byzantine Empire collapsed in the 15th century and the newly established [[Islam|Islamic]] Ottoman Empire took over. They heavily taxed the monasteries, but for the most part left them alone. The population of monks and their wealth declined over the next centuries, but was revitalised around the 19th century by the donations and new arrivals from other Orthodox countries, such as Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, while each country came to exert its influence on individual monasteries. In 1912, during the First Balkan War, the Ottomans were forced out and after a brief conflict between Greece and Russia over sovereignty, the peninsula formally came under Greek sovereignty after World War I. | ||
| + | [[Image:Athonite_Monastery.jpg|left|thumb|300px|An Athonite Monastery]] | ||
Politically the peninsula is mostly self-governed and consists of 20 main monasteries and the capital city and administrative centre, [[Karyes]], also home to a governor as the representative of the Greek state. Beyond the monasteries there are 12 ''[[skete|sketae]]'', smaller communities of monks, as well as many (solitary) hermitages throughout the peninsula. Visits to the peninsula are possible for laymen, but they need special permission. | Politically the peninsula is mostly self-governed and consists of 20 main monasteries and the capital city and administrative centre, [[Karyes]], also home to a governor as the representative of the Greek state. Beyond the monasteries there are 12 ''[[skete|sketae]]'', smaller communities of monks, as well as many (solitary) hermitages throughout the peninsula. Visits to the peninsula are possible for laymen, but they need special permission. | ||
Women are completely barred from the peninsula, a fact which has earned a certain amount of fame; even female domestic animals (with the exception, some say, of cats, as well as chickens which lay eggs that provide the fresh egg yolk needed for the paint used in [[iconography]]) are forbidden. However, during the Greek Civil War, Athos did shelter refugees including women and girls. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010209.html] | Women are completely barred from the peninsula, a fact which has earned a certain amount of fame; even female domestic animals (with the exception, some say, of cats, as well as chickens which lay eggs that provide the fresh egg yolk needed for the paint used in [[iconography]]) are forbidden. However, during the Greek Civil War, Athos did shelter refugees including women and girls. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010209.html] | ||
| − | 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 monastary, [[ | + | 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 monastary, [[Chilandari Monastery (Athos)|Chilandari]]. 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. |
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== Languages == | == Languages == | ||
| + | Greek is commonly used in all Greek monasteries, but in some monasteries there are other languages in use, in [[St. Panteleimon's Monastery (Athos)|St. Panteleimon]], Russian; in [[Chilandar Monastery (Athos)|Chilandari]] Serbo-Croat; in [[Zographou Monastery (Athos)|Zographou]], Bulgarian; and in the sketae of [[Prodromou Skete (Athos)|Prodromos]] and [[Lacu Skete (Athos)|Lacu]], Romanian. Today, many of the Greek monks are better educated and can speak English. | ||
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| + | == List of Monasteries == | ||
| + | [[Image:Iviron_Sea.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Looking toward the sea from the main entrance of [[Iviron Monastery (Athos)|Iviron Monastery]]]] | ||
| + | The monasteries, in hierarchical order: | ||
| − | + | * [[Great Lavra (Athos)|Great Lavra]] (''Megisti Lavra'') | |
| − | + | * [[Vatopedi Monastery (Athos)|Vatopedi Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Iviron Monastery (Athos)|Iviron Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Chilandari Monastery (Athos)|Chilandari Monastery]] (''Hilandar'') | |
| − | + | * [[Dionysiou Monastery (Athos)|Dionysiou Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Koutloumousiou Monastery (Athos)|Koutloumousiou Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Pantokratoros Monastery (Athos)|Pantokratoros Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Xeropotamou Monastery (Athos)|Xeropotamou Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Zographou Monastery (Athos)|Zographou Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Dochiariou Monastery (Athos)|Dochiariou Monastery]] | |
| − | + | * [[Karakalou Monastery (Athos)|Karakalou Monastery]] | |
| − | * | + | * [[Philotheou Monastery (Athos)|Philotheou Monastery]] |
| − | * | + | * [[Simonopetra Monastery (Athos)|Simonopetra Monastery]] |
| − | + | * [[St. Paul's Monastery (Athos)|St. Paul's Monastery]] | |
| + | * [[Stavronikita Monastery (Athos)|Stavronikita Monastery]] | ||
| + | * [[Xenophontos Monastery (Athos)|Xenophontos Monastery]] | ||
| + | * [[Grigoriou Monastery (Athos)|Grigoriou Monastery]] | ||
| + | * [[Esphigmenou Monastery (Athos)|Esphigmenou Monastery]] | ||
| + | * [[St. Panteleimon's Monastery (Athos)|St. Panteleimon's Monastery]] | ||
| + | * [[Konstamonitou Monastery (Athos)|Konstamonitou Monastery]] | ||
| − | + | The sketes: | |
| − | + | * [[Prodromou Skete (Athos)|Prodromou Skete]] | |
| + | * [[St. Anne's Skete (Athos)|St. Anne's Skete]] | ||
| + | * [[Kafsokalyvia Skete (Athos)|Kafsokalyvia Skete]] | ||
| + | * [[Skete of Vatopedi (Athos)|Skete of Vatopedi]] | ||
| + | * [[Skete of Iviron (Athos)|Skete of Iviron]] | ||
| + | * [[Skete of Koutloumousiou (Athos)|Skete of Koutloumousiou]] | ||
| + | * [[Skete of Pantokratoros (Athos)|Skete of Pantokratoros]] | ||
| + | * [[New Skete (Athos)|New Skete]] (''Nea Skiti'') | ||
| + | * [[Lacu Skete(Athos)|Lacu Skete]] (''Lakkoskete'') | ||
| + | * [[Skete of Xenophontos (Athos)|Skete of Xenophontos]] | ||
| + | * [[St. Basil's Skete (Athos)|St. Basil's Skete]] | ||
| + | * [[Provata Skete (Athos)|Provata Skete]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
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*[http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/ Mount Athos: The Holy Mountain] | *[http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/ Mount Athos: The Holy Mountain] | ||
*[http://www.inathos.gr Walk in Mount Athos] | *[http://www.inathos.gr Walk in Mount Athos] | ||
*[http://www.rs.risjak.net/chilandar/index.html Chilandar Monastery] | *[http://www.rs.risjak.net/chilandar/index.html Chilandar Monastery] | ||
| + | *[http://abacus.bates.edu/~rallison/friends/ The Friends of Mount Athos] | ||
*[http://abacus.bates.edu/~rallison/friends/friendsguide.html A Pilgrim's Guide to Mount Athos] (courtesy of [http://abacus.bates.edu/~rallison/friends/ The Friends of Mount Athos]) | *[http://abacus.bates.edu/~rallison/friends/friendsguide.html A Pilgrim's Guide to Mount Athos] (courtesy of [http://abacus.bates.edu/~rallison/friends/ The Friends of Mount Athos]) | ||
*[http://www.monachos.net/monasticism/athos/visiting_athos.shtml Visiting Mount Athos] | *[http://www.monachos.net/monasticism/athos/visiting_athos.shtml Visiting Mount Athos] | ||
Revision as of 19:54, January 6, 2005
Mount Athos is a mountain and a peninsula in Macedonia, northern Greece, called Άγιο Όρος (Ayio Oros or "Holy Mountain") in Modern Greek, or Ἅγιον Ὄρος (Hagion Oros) in Classical Greek. It is home to 20 Orthodox monasteries and forms an autonomous state under Greek sovereignty. Only monks are allowed to live on Athos and the current population numbers around 1,400. The peninsula, the easternmost "leg" of the larger Chalkidiki peninsula, protrudes into the Aegean Sea for some 60 km at a width between 7 to 12 km and covers an area of about 390 km², with the actual mountain and its steep, densely forested slopes reaching up to 2,033 m.
The seas around the end of the peninsula can be dangerous. Xerxes I had a channel excavated across the isthmus to allow the passage of his invasion fleet in 483 BC.
History
Mount Athos as a monastic community was formally founded in 963, when St. Athanasius (not to be confused with the 4th century St. Athanasius the Great) established the monastery of Great Lavra, still the largest and most prominent of the 20 monasteries. It enjoyed the protection of the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire during the following centuries and its wealth and possessions grew considerably. The Fourth Crusade in the 13th century brought new Roman Catholic overlords which forced the monks to seek protection from Pope Innocent III, until the restoration of the Byzantine Empire. It was raided by Catalan mercenaries in the 14th century, a century that also saw the theological conflict over the hesychasm practised on Mount Athos and defended by Gregory Palamas.
The Byzantine Empire collapsed in the 15th century and the newly established Islamic Ottoman Empire took over. They heavily taxed the monasteries, but for the most part left them alone. The population of monks and their wealth declined over the next centuries, but was revitalised around the 19th century by the donations and new arrivals from other Orthodox countries, such as Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, while each country came to exert its influence on individual monasteries. In 1912, during the First Balkan War, the Ottomans were forced out and after a brief conflict between Greece and Russia over sovereignty, the peninsula formally came under Greek sovereignty after World War I.
Politically the peninsula is mostly self-governed and consists of 20 main monasteries and the capital city and administrative centre, Karyes, also home to a governor as the representative of the Greek state. Beyond the monasteries there are 12 sketae, smaller communities of monks, as well as many (solitary) hermitages throughout the peninsula. Visits to the peninsula are possible for laymen, but they need special permission.
Women are completely barred from the peninsula, a fact which has earned a certain amount of fame; even female domestic animals (with the exception, some say, of cats, as well as chickens which lay eggs that provide the fresh egg yolk needed for the paint used in iconography) are forbidden. However, during the Greek Civil War, Athos did shelter refugees including women and girls. [1]
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 monastary, Chilandari. 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.
Languages
Greek is commonly used in all Greek monasteries, but in some monasteries there are other languages in use, in St. Panteleimon, Russian; in Chilandari Serbo-Croat; in Zographou, Bulgarian; and in the sketae of Prodromos and Lacu, Romanian. Today, many of the Greek monks are better educated and can speak English.
List of Monasteries
The monasteries, in hierarchical order:
- Great Lavra (Megisti Lavra)
- Vatopedi Monastery
- Iviron Monastery
- Chilandari Monastery (Hilandar)
- Dionysiou Monastery
- Koutloumousiou Monastery
- Pantokratoros Monastery
- Xeropotamou Monastery
- Zographou Monastery
- Dochiariou Monastery
- Karakalou Monastery
- Philotheou Monastery
- Simonopetra Monastery
- St. Paul's Monastery
- Stavronikita Monastery
- Xenophontos Monastery
- Grigoriou Monastery
- Esphigmenou Monastery
- St. Panteleimon's Monastery
- Konstamonitou Monastery
The sketes:
- Prodromou Skete
- St. Anne's Skete
- Kafsokalyvia Skete
- Skete of Vatopedi
- Skete of Iviron
- Skete of Koutloumousiou
- Skete of Pantokratoros
- New Skete (Nea Skiti)
- Lacu Skete (Lakkoskete)
- Skete of Xenophontos
- St. Basil's Skete
- Provata Skete
External links
Categories > Images
Categories > OrthodoxWiki > Featured Articles
Categories > Places
Categories > Places > Monasteries
Categories > Places > Monasteries > Athonite Monasteries
Categories > Places > Orthodox UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Categories > Places > Pilgrimage Sites
Categories > Spirituality > Asceticism
Categories > Spirituality > Asceticism
