Esphigmenou Monastery Athos

Esphigmenou Monastery – The Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou (Mount Athos)

The Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou (Μονή Εσφιγμένου) stands in a small enclosed cove on the north-eastern coast of the Athonite peninsula, after Chilandari. Departing by sea from the port of Ierissos, it is the first coastal monastery encountered—its very foundations are washed by the waves. The ancient city of Dion is believed to have been located in its area.

In the hierarchy of the twenty Holy Monasteries of Mount Athos, Esphigmenou occupies the eighteenth place.

History

By tradition, the founders are Empress Pulcheria and Emperor Theodosius II (the Younger) (5th c.); another tradition adds Eudokia, wife of Theodosius. The first historical attestation dates to 998, in a deed of Vatopedi, recording the monastery as Esfagmenou—possibly named after a hideous massacre by pirates. Another view connects the name to “Crucified,” given the dedication to the Saviour.

The monastery is first cited with its current name in the so-called criminal letter of Pavlos Xiropotaminos (1016), where Theoktistos signs as abbot of the Esphimenos monastery. The name reappears in the will of the monk Dimitrios Chalkeos (1030), where “Theoktistos, monk and preceptor of the Esphimenos monastery” signs as executor. In 1035, a document records the sale to Abbot Theoktistos of a plot from the nearby Plakia monastery.

There are multiple explanations for the name Esphigmenou. One attributes it to its “tight” position between three hills—Zoodochos Pigi, Samaria, and Grimbovitsa—as noted by Ioannis Komnenos in the Proskynitarion: “It is called the Tight One, because it is between three small mountains and is confined to the shore.” Another interpretation links it to its founder or restorer, a monk “σχοινίῳ σφιγτῷ ἐζωσμένος.” Both interpretations were proposed (and doubted) by Patriarch Philotheos Kokkinos (14th c.) in his Encomium for Gregory Palamas.

In 1015 the monastery ranked sixth; in the 2nd Typikon of Monomachos (1045) it ranked fifth; and in the 3rd Typikon (1394) it ranked ninth, signed by Abbot Kyrillos. That same year, heavy subsidence caused great damage. It recovered quickly, acquiring significant estates; however, from the late 11th to mid-13th century it fell into obscurity, with only a single deed copy surviving from that period.

In the next two centuries, up to the Ottoman conquest, Esphigmenou entered a period of prosperity, supported by Byzantine emperors and rulers of other Orthodox countries (e.g., John V Palaiologos, Stefan Dušan, and George Vragović).

Notable monks included Akakios; later the Patriarch of Constantinople Athanasios (1289–1293, 1303–1311); and Saint Gregory Palamas, briefly abbot (1333–1334) when the brotherhood numbered ~200. A chapel on the eastern side is dedicated to St. Gregory, where there is also an hagiasma of the saint.

The sheltered bay made Esphigmenou a target for pirate raids, looting, and arson—recorded in three manuscripts (nos. 4, 14, 296). One notes three destructions: the first in ÿstpa’ (=873), the second in Ïsfne’ (=1047), and the third—complete desolation—in Ïzmv’ (=1533) “under the godless Agarines.” On June 26, 1533, as noted in parchment codex no. 14 (11th c.), “the anointing of Esphimenos” took place; ten days later other raiders returned, burned the monastery, and captured nine monks with their ships. Other calamities followed: in 1469 it sold property in Provlakas to the widow of Sultan Murad II; fires in 1491 and 1634; and a grievous blow from a second confiscation of estates by Selim.

Reconstruction is evidenced by a 1569 document mentioning 51 monks actively rebuilding. In 1610 the monastery paid 4,000 aspers to Paki Tzelepi for an estate in Portaria that had been seized. Fund-raising in the Greek and Danubian lands—and in Russia, with permission of Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich in 1655—aided restoration. In the 1660s, debts forced temporary closure; the six or seven remaining monks hid relics on Mount Samaria for safekeeping.

In late Ottoman times, at least four metropolitans settled in and benefited the monastery. Metropolitan Grigorios of Meleniko, abdicating and becoming monk Gerasimos, led a material restoration in the 18th c., donating 5,000 grosia toward a 100,000-silver debt. Metropolitan Daniel of Thessaloniki spearheaded spiritual renewal, converting the monastery to cenobitic life in 1797 (seal of Patriarch Gregory V; replaced by Kallinikos V in 1801). The first abbot was Akakios (short tenure); then Euthymios, followed by the scholar Theodoritos (from 1804).

Esphigmenou was honored by Patriarchs Gregory V (1746–1821) and Anthimos VI Koutalianos (1782–1877), counted among its monks. In 1802, Gregory V renovated much of the south side. With Abbots Euthymios Moshonisiotis (a Filiki Eteria initiate) and Theodoritos Ioannitis, the monastery strengthened. Through Anthimos VI, it acquired Florești Monastery (Romania) as a hegoumenal gift. In 1808 there were 42 monks (36 within the walls).

In February 1821, Emmanouil Papas arrived to organize the Macedonian uprising. On a subsequent voyage with Abbot Euthymios to seek aid from the south (Hydra), the mission ended ingloriously.

During 1854–1858 the monastery was renovated; new buildings in 1854, 1857, and 1858 nearly doubled its area. Under Abbot Agathangelos Kallipolitis (1833–1871), a full renovation and expansion occurred with Russian donations. A school of iconography operated intermittently (1871–1872, 1885–1889, 1891–1899) under Abbot Loukas II.

Since the 1960s, Esphigmenou has not recognized the spiritual authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate due to ecumenical moves by Patriarch Athenagoras. In June 1972 the Holy Community of Mount Athos deposed the monastery’s representative. Having declared itself “zealous,” it accepted as ecclesial head the Old-Calendarist Archbishop of Merida Auxentios. Today the central buildings are considered illegally occupied by these monks.

In 2002 a new brotherhood formed (residing in Karyes): 23 monks, under Abbot Archimandrite Bartholomeos.

The new catholicon (western part of the courtyard), dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord, was founded by Abbot Theodoritos in 1808 and consecrated by Patriarch Gregory V in 1811. Designed by the architect Pavlos of Tinos and financed by Ignatios, Metropolitan of Kassandreia, it replaced the old two-aisled catholicon with exonarthex and peristyle. Marble elements were brought from Tinos. The church program was completed in phases: main church (1811), Holy Altar (1818, by Galatian hagiographers Benjamin, Zacharias, Makarios), and apse (1841, by the monks Joasaph, Nikiforos, Gerasimos, Anthimos). The wood-carved concave iconostasis (built 1813; later gilded) features rich floral decoration and scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

Scholars

Theodoritos Ioannitis was long a monk at the Skete of Agia Anna and later at the Great Lavra. In 1802 he was appointed abbot of Esphigmenou, working zealously for its reconstruction, then retired to a Lavra cell to study and write. A student of Kyrillos Agrafiotis at Athoniada, he was known for erudition and philanthropy. In 1800 he traveled to Leipzig to publish his Interpretation of the Apocalypse, judged bold for its allegories and banned; it appeared anonymously. His Commentary on Daniel was later rejected by Patriarch Cyril VI “for the allegorical explanation.” His method symbolically linked apocalyptic scenes with the expectation of the resurrection of the Nation.

Though a staunch opponent of the Kollyvades, Theodoritos held good relations with Nicodemus the Hagiorite. While in Leipzig, he helped supervise an edition on Nicodemus’ behalf but added his own comments, causing a rift. His principal work—a history of Mount Athos—was lost when robbers destroyed his manuscripts; in despair he burned what remained. He likely fled during the 1822 Ottoman invasion, dying a refugee in Bursa (1823). Portions of his collection were later used by Jacobus Neoscetiotis and appropriated by Porphyry Uspensky.

Pachomios Esphigmenitis authored unpublished works (History of the Holy Monastery of Esphimenos, 3 vols.; History of the Holy Land during the Revolution of 1821), preserved in monastery manuscripts. Germanos Esphigmenitis published the periodical Evangeliki Salpix (Nafplion, 1834–1838) and wrote the life of the martyr Agathangelos Esphigmenitis (1819). Others include Metropolitan Klimis of Grevena (d. 1898) and Zosimas Esphigmenitis, editor of Prometheus (d. 1902).

Icons

See icons here

The iconostasis is temporarily housed in the synod hall (old abbot’s hall). Portable icons from various eras—Christ and the Virgin, among others—are kept here; a notable triptych centers on Saint Nicholas. The main set of icons remains in the catholicon for devotional use.

An ancient mosaic icon of Christ Pantocrator is preserved in the Iconophylakion, depicting Christ full-length, blessing with the right hand and holding a Gospel in the left. Dated to the 14th century (possibly older), it is surrounded by a 1792 silver frame depicting the apostles, with small relics set below.

Museum – Sacristy

The Vault is temporarily housed with the Library above the narthex of the catholicon. Holdings include gold-embroidered vestments, crosses, Gospels, liturgical vessels (paten, chalices), and other items—many crafted in Wallachia and Vienna under Nilos (later Metropolitan of Pentapolis), who became a monk in 1868.

A piece of embroidered fabric from Napoleon the Great’s campaign tent in Egypt—gift of Patriarch Gregory V—is used once yearly on Ascension Day as the curtain on the royal doors. A historic banner from the Greek uprising is preserved, as are two epitrachilia: one of Petru Rareș, Voivode of Moldavia (1537), and another made shortly before the Fall.

Archive

The Archive is housed in a special space; part remains in the old library above the catholicon. The first detailed account is by Vasily Barsky (1744), who saw ten chrysobulls (five Byzantine; three now missing). Abbot Theodoritos copied a large portion in the early 19th c. Porphyry Uspensky visited in 1846 and listed 20 documents (1847). Petros Sevastianov photographed at least 17 Byzantine documents (c. 1859), later used in the 1906 edition by L. Petit and W. Regel.

In 1903 Gerasimos Smyrnakis studied the archive for his monastery history. Manuel Gedeon (1888) first published eleven documents. The Greek archive (1906) by Petit & Regel included 21 post-Byzantine items (15th c.–1848), including Slavic items and translations of Turkish and Romanian documents. The 1973 edition focused on Byzantine documents. In 2008, in Athonika Symmeikta, Zisis Melissakis published epitomes of 105 Greek post-Byzantine documents (1527–1801).

A handwritten early-20th-century catalog survives (incomplete): Catalog of the documents of the sacred and venerable royal and patriarchal monastery of Esphimenos in Athos. Notable chrysobulls include those of John V Palaiologos (1357), Stefan Dušan IV Uroš (1347), George Vragović (1429), and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1655). Also notable is the golden bull of Mara (1428), depicting the Serbian Branković family.

Library

The Library—also above the narthex—holds about 400 manuscripts (including 75 parchments and some scrolls) and ~2,000 printed books on site; over 7,000 printed books are stored on the second floor of the north wing. Historically, Esphigmenou maintained a rich spiritual life and thus a rich manuscript tradition.

In 1533 pirates looted the monastery, capturing nine monks and burning buildings, taking books and documents. A note in parchment codex no. 14 (11th c.) records that Saint Akakios of the Monastery of Kochliaras bought back books and some golden bulls from the raiders and returned them to Esphigmenou. In codex 23 (11th c.), a 1570 note reads: “This Gospel was bought by Papas Argyros from Prosanikis, son of Papas Kyrkos, when the Turkish armada entered Epakton, and he gave a hundred aspro.”

Robert Curzon visited in 1837; the library, then above the catholicon, held ~1,500 books, half manuscripts (mostly on paper), largely theological. He noted four Gospels and two Acts; the rest were service books and patristic works. He admired an illustrated Tetraevangel (Russian or Bulgarian) with capital script and miniatures, yet was disappointed by the scarcity of ancient (classical) manuscripts—attributing losses to predatory raids.

Gerasimos Smyrnakis, overlooking Curzon’s distinction between manuscripts and printed books, mistakenly reported ~1,500 manuscript codices (half parchment) of mainly theological content in 1837. By 1880 he notes 320 codices (71 parchments). In 1882 two parchment codices were removed by a hierodeacon Hesychios: Codex 3 (12th c., Enchiridion of Epictetus and texts of Nilus) and Codex 30 (14th c., Tetraevangel). In 1896–1898 Librarian Gregory discovered the removal of codices 65 (Acts, 14th c.) and 71 (Horologion, 13th c.), plus about a dozen more. Spyridon Lambros recorded 320 codes in the same period.

Manuscripts

The library hosts ~400 manuscript codices. Of the 320 Greek codices recorded by Spyridon Lambros, 16 contain classical texts—each unique to its codex (except for Lucian’s Dialogues): Pythagoras’ Golden Verses, Homer’s Batrachomyomachia, Xenophon’s Cyropaedia, Hermogenes’ Rhetoric, Herodian’s Roman History, Euclid’s Elements, Aphthonius’ Progymnasmata, etc. The parchment Codex 3 (12th c.) is the oldest of the ~65 manuscripts worldwide preserving the Enchiridion of Epictetus.

Notable illuminated works include the Menologion (no. 14, 11th c.) with 78 miniatures (some composite), arranged in stacked double/triple bands, and eight large scenes from the Nativity. Some miniatures were later cut out. Hagiographic scenes are accompanied by idyllic/bucolic motifs; titles and protograms with anthropomorphic and floral ornament abound.

Also noteworthy: an Evangelistary from the 11th century with portraits of the four Evangelists; Codex 13 (dated 937) “by the hand of John the monk and sinner” (calligrapher John of Lavra, contemporary of Athanasios the Athonite); and the palimpsest parchment Codex 27 containing a 14th-century Gospel.

Printed Books

About 2,000 printed books remain in the same space as the manuscripts, with over 7,000 more on the second floor of the north wing. According to Thomas Papadopoulos (Libraries of Mount Athos, p. 7), the first Greek edition located at Esphigmenou is a 1523 old-type imprint—the extremely rare Dictionary of Varinus Phavorinus, edited by Zacharias Kalliergis and printed in Rome, a title held in seven Athonite libraries.

Source: About Libraries Greece – Esphigmenou Monastery

Visual and Archival Sources for the Esphigmenou Monastery

Because Esphigmenou is active and access is limited, most imagery and documentation comes from (1) Greek/Athonite aggregators, (2) scholarly manuscript catalogs, (3) open image repositories, and (4) curated pilgrim/heritage guides. Use the links below to locate photographs, catalog records, and archival descriptions.

1. Greek / Athonite Repositories

• Athoniki Psifiaki Kivotos – Mount Athos Digital Ark – official portal; entry point to institution pages and the Discovery catalog.
  Source: discovery.mountathos.org. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
• SearchCulture.gr – ELIA/MIET photo items tagged to Esphigmenou – historical photographs with standardized metadata and rights.
  Sample: “Kopanos” of Esphigmenou. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

2. Manuscripts & Scholarly Catalogs

• Pinakes (IRHT/CNRS) – fonds notice and item-level records for Monê Esphigmênou (with cross-references to holdings and displaced codices).
  Sources: fonds notice; example displacement note: possessor links. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• Dumbarton Oaks – MMDB – manuscript entry tied to Esphigmenou (with images and catalogue notes).
  Source: doaks.org. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

3. Image Repositories

• Wikimedia Commons – “Esphigmenou monastery” – free-licensed exterior views; also see the “Views of Esphigmenou monastery” subcategory.
  Sources: main category; views; overview of Athos monastery categories: parent category. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

4. Curated Guides & Official Context

• Mount-Athos.org (Pilgrim guide) – concise profile with present-day photos and orientation.
  Source: mount-athos.org. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• Ephorate of Antiquities of Chalkidiki & Mount Athos – official regional heritage authority (contact/info; useful for permissions).
  Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
• General reference – quick facts and bibliography pointers (verify against primary catalogs).
  Source: Wikipedia (EN). :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Note on use: Commons and many SearchCulture/ELIA items are CC-licensed or public domain; always check the specific rights statement on the item page. For scholarly use on athosforum.org, include a brief credit line and a link to the originating catalog record.

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