Μάιος 2020 – Σελίδα 10

The holy martyr Chrysanthos on a portable icon of the Monastery.

The Consequences
To The Monastery

The Consequences To The Monastery

The first consequence of the participation in the struggle was the interruption of the massive reconstruction work. However, a much more dramatic consequence was that at least four monks of the monastery – Chrysanthos, Neofytos, Isaac and Xenofontos, whose names were recorded in the monastery's Prothesis prayer book and in other sources of the time – were martyred in Konstantinople and Thessaloniki in 1821 in 1822. They are also mentioned in Dositheus of Kostamonitou's work on new martyrs written in 1855. In fact, the holy monk Chrysanthos was martyred in Konstantinople on Easter Sunday (10 April 1821), the same day the Patriarch of Konstantinople Gregory V was hanged from the gate of the Patriarchate.

Active Participation

Even More Martyrs

Return

The Wound From
The Iconoclasm

The Wound From The Iconoclasm

Tradition surrounds the image with accounts of miraculous escapes from destruction during the iconoclasm, when the jaw of the saint's image was damaged by a soldier and bled. It then arrived miraculously at the beach of the Monastery, at the point where there is a spring of sacred water (known as the 'sour water'). The icon's characterization of the saint as Dysuritis is attributed to this spring of sacred water, which is considered to be a remedy for dysuria, albeit soundly reminiscent of the 'diasoritis' accompanying St Georgios in Naxos.

The Icon Of St Georgios The 'Dysuritis'

Valualbe Relics Of St Georgios

Return

The Icon Of St Georgios
The ‘Dysuritis’

The Icon Of St Georgios The 'Dysuritis'

St Georgios is depicted in a large-scale picture, probably of the early 15th century, in the new cathedral. The inscription ttributes to the saint the rare epithet Dysuritis (i.e. one who has an a urological problem). Sitting on a throne, he receives the crown of martyr from two angels, under the blessing of God. The gems on the crown, even though they are merely painted, enrich it with enormous symbolic value. The martyr is dressed in elaborate military armour. Particular emphasis has been placed on his weapons, which are very accurately rendered.

The Mosaics Of Nikiforos Botaneiates

The Wound From The Iconoclasm

Return

The Mosaics Of
Nikiforos Botaneiates

The Mosaics Of Nikiforos Botaneiates

In exactly the same way, the two portable mosaics of the 11th century, gifts of the Emperor Nikiforos Botaneiates, had been placed next to each other in the cathedral before they were transferred to the museum. One seldom has the opportunity to see such works of art so closely. Portable mosaics of Byzantium were made by a totally different technique than the wall mosaics and were valuable objects, with a clear imperial symbolism that distinguishes them from the other portable icons. There are only a few dozen surviving Byzantine portable mosaics in the world, and these two icons are the biggest.

The big mosaic icon of St Georgios, of the 11th century, gift of Nikiforos Botaneatis.

The big portable mosaic icon of St Dmetrios, of the 11th century, gift of Nikiforos Botaneatis.

Προηγούμενο

Επόμενο

At The Temple Of The Old Cathedral

The Icon Of St Georgios The 'Dysuritis'

Return

At The Temple Of The Old Cathedral

The two martyrs are depicted in the despotic icons of the temple of the old Catholic in a way that reminds the depiction of the the Christ the Pantocrator and the Virgin Mary holding the divine infant. This iconographic choice is unusual, as the painter preferred to present the status of saints Georgios and Demetrios as officials as symbols instead of their military status that prevailed at that time. In that way it highlights the honorary position they hold in the monastery. The four icons are considered to be part of the same order with the 'vemothera', which bear the inscription 'ΔΕΗΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΟΥΛΟΥ ΤΟΥ Θ[ΕΟ]Υ ΑΚΑΚΙΟΥ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΖΡΙΖ' (7117 of the Creation of the World, that is, 1609).