Codex no.1 of the archive of Stavronikita monastery on Mount Athos has been
until recently unkno... more Codex no.1 of the archive of Stavronikita monastery on Mount Athos has been
until recently unknown and remains unpublished. Comprised of 86 pages, it includes
financial reports known as paradóseis (deliveries) by the taxidiótes (travelers), i.e. the
monks in charge of a zeteía (alms gathering) in various lands, and/or the oikonómos
(head keeper) of one of the monastery’s metóchia (dependencies). The term taxídion
defines both the act of traveling for alms gathering and the land within which the alms
gathering takes place. These alms-gathering missions were undertaken by all the
Eastern Orthodox institutions, particularly monasteries, and were characterized by a
specific set of unwritten rules observed from the 16th (but mostly from the 18th) to the
19th century. The Stavronikita codex was opened in 1752, and its entries are in sequence
up until 1820. However, there is a ten-year gap after 1821, when the revolution of
Emmanuel Papas broke out in Macedonia, to which the monks of Mount Athos had
pledged support. This part of the Greek Revolution was eventually suppressed by the
Ottomans, resulting in a period of financial and social hardship for the monasteries of
Athos until 1830. The entries in the codex reappear in 1831 and reach 1872, year of the
last entry. They were written by numerous hands, and many were copied from other
sources, usually ledgers. The entries are not set by date, but by the person conducting
the taxídion. They include the dates of the journey, the name of the monk in charge,
the place he traveled to, the amount of cash brought in, as well as the contributions in
kind, which would include silverware, vestments, holy relics, icons, animals, and
landed property, accompanied by an estimation of their value. The Travelers’ Codex
does not mention the names of the donors and their contributions, which are cited in
ledgers and commemorated in church for a period depending on the extent of their
donation. Depending on the value of the deliverables, the monastery compensated the
traveler with administrative positions and titles, which usually allowed his participation
in the synaxis, i.e. the assembly of the elders. The codex also offers an image of the
duration of each taxídion, which would not normally exceed four years, but in some
cases lasted ten, or even seventeen years. The geographical distribution of the taxídia
was identical to the monastery’s network of dependencies, which served as a base for
alms gathering in their wider area. The areas extended eastwards to Eastern Thrace
and Constantinople, westwards to Central Macedonia and Moglena (also named
Óssiane), southwards to Larissa and Athens and northwards to Bucharest, where
Stavronikita held the dependency of Arhimandritou monastery. Most, however, take
place in the areas of Chalcidice, Serres and Drama. The codex of Stavronikita is, of
course, not the only of the kind found in the archives of the monasteries of Mount
Athos. Similar codices can also be found in Megiste Lavra, Vatopediou, Iviron,
Dionysiou, Xeropotamou and Docheiariou monasteries. The practice of zeteía depicted
in the Stavronikita codex is a product of the idiorrhythmic system of monastic
organization that appeared after the 14th century, according to which each monastery
is governed not by the abbot, who is now honorary for a brief period in compensation
for a profitable taxídion, but by a group of elders that includes the sacristan, the dikaíos,
and the ecclesiárches.
Codex no.1 of the archive of Stavronikita monastery on Mount Athos has been
until recently unkno... more Codex no.1 of the archive of Stavronikita monastery on Mount Athos has been
until recently unknown and remains unpublished. Comprised of 86 pages, it includes
financial reports known as paradóseis (deliveries) by the taxidiótes (travelers), i.e. the
monks in charge of a zeteía (alms gathering) in various lands, and/or the oikonómos
(head keeper) of one of the monastery’s metóchia (dependencies). The term taxídion
defines both the act of traveling for alms gathering and the land within which the alms
gathering takes place. These alms-gathering missions were undertaken by all the
Eastern Orthodox institutions, particularly monasteries, and were characterized by a
specific set of unwritten rules observed from the 16th (but mostly from the 18th) to the
19th century. The Stavronikita codex was opened in 1752, and its entries are in sequence
up until 1820. However, there is a ten-year gap after 1821, when the revolution of
Emmanuel Papas broke out in Macedonia, to which the monks of Mount Athos had
pledged support. This part of the Greek Revolution was eventually suppressed by the
Ottomans, resulting in a period of financial and social hardship for the monasteries of
Athos until 1830. The entries in the codex reappear in 1831 and reach 1872, year of the
last entry. They were written by numerous hands, and many were copied from other
sources, usually ledgers. The entries are not set by date, but by the person conducting
the taxídion. They include the dates of the journey, the name of the monk in charge,
the place he traveled to, the amount of cash brought in, as well as the contributions in
kind, which would include silverware, vestments, holy relics, icons, animals, and
landed property, accompanied by an estimation of their value. The Travelers’ Codex
does not mention the names of the donors and their contributions, which are cited in
ledgers and commemorated in church for a period depending on the extent of their
donation. Depending on the value of the deliverables, the monastery compensated the
traveler with administrative positions and titles, which usually allowed his participation
in the synaxis, i.e. the assembly of the elders. The codex also offers an image of the
duration of each taxídion, which would not normally exceed four years, but in some
cases lasted ten, or even seventeen years. The geographical distribution of the taxídia
was identical to the monastery’s network of dependencies, which served as a base for
alms gathering in their wider area. The areas extended eastwards to Eastern Thrace
and Constantinople, westwards to Central Macedonia and Moglena (also named
Óssiane), southwards to Larissa and Athens and northwards to Bucharest, where
Stavronikita held the dependency of Arhimandritou monastery. Most, however, take
place in the areas of Chalcidice, Serres and Drama. The codex of Stavronikita is, of
course, not the only of the kind found in the archives of the monasteries of Mount
Athos. Similar codices can also be found in Megiste Lavra, Vatopediou, Iviron,
Dionysiou, Xeropotamou and Docheiariou monasteries. The practice of zeteía depicted
in the Stavronikita codex is a product of the idiorrhythmic system of monastic
organization that appeared after the 14th century, according to which each monastery
is governed not by the abbot, who is now honorary for a brief period in compensation
for a profitable taxídion, but by a group of elders that includes the sacristan, the dikaíos,
and the ecclesiárches.
Convergences and divergences in the typology of Byzantine and post-Byzantine networks of Athonite... more Convergences and divergences in the typology of Byzantine and post-Byzantine networks of Athonite dependencies (Metochia)
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until recently unknown and remains unpublished. Comprised of 86 pages, it includes
financial reports known as paradóseis (deliveries) by the taxidiótes (travelers), i.e. the
monks in charge of a zeteía (alms gathering) in various lands, and/or the oikonómos
(head keeper) of one of the monastery’s metóchia (dependencies). The term taxídion
defines both the act of traveling for alms gathering and the land within which the alms
gathering takes place. These alms-gathering missions were undertaken by all the
Eastern Orthodox institutions, particularly monasteries, and were characterized by a
specific set of unwritten rules observed from the 16th (but mostly from the 18th) to the
19th century. The Stavronikita codex was opened in 1752, and its entries are in sequence
up until 1820. However, there is a ten-year gap after 1821, when the revolution of
Emmanuel Papas broke out in Macedonia, to which the monks of Mount Athos had
pledged support. This part of the Greek Revolution was eventually suppressed by the
Ottomans, resulting in a period of financial and social hardship for the monasteries of
Athos until 1830. The entries in the codex reappear in 1831 and reach 1872, year of the
last entry. They were written by numerous hands, and many were copied from other
sources, usually ledgers. The entries are not set by date, but by the person conducting
the taxídion. They include the dates of the journey, the name of the monk in charge,
the place he traveled to, the amount of cash brought in, as well as the contributions in
kind, which would include silverware, vestments, holy relics, icons, animals, and
landed property, accompanied by an estimation of their value. The Travelers’ Codex
does not mention the names of the donors and their contributions, which are cited in
ledgers and commemorated in church for a period depending on the extent of their
donation. Depending on the value of the deliverables, the monastery compensated the
traveler with administrative positions and titles, which usually allowed his participation
in the synaxis, i.e. the assembly of the elders. The codex also offers an image of the
duration of each taxídion, which would not normally exceed four years, but in some
cases lasted ten, or even seventeen years. The geographical distribution of the taxídia
was identical to the monastery’s network of dependencies, which served as a base for
alms gathering in their wider area. The areas extended eastwards to Eastern Thrace
and Constantinople, westwards to Central Macedonia and Moglena (also named
Óssiane), southwards to Larissa and Athens and northwards to Bucharest, where
Stavronikita held the dependency of Arhimandritou monastery. Most, however, take
place in the areas of Chalcidice, Serres and Drama. The codex of Stavronikita is, of
course, not the only of the kind found in the archives of the monasteries of Mount
Athos. Similar codices can also be found in Megiste Lavra, Vatopediou, Iviron,
Dionysiou, Xeropotamou and Docheiariou monasteries. The practice of zeteía depicted
in the Stavronikita codex is a product of the idiorrhythmic system of monastic
organization that appeared after the 14th century, according to which each monastery
is governed not by the abbot, who is now honorary for a brief period in compensation
for a profitable taxídion, but by a group of elders that includes the sacristan, the dikaíos,
and the ecclesiárches.
until recently unknown and remains unpublished. Comprised of 86 pages, it includes
financial reports known as paradóseis (deliveries) by the taxidiótes (travelers), i.e. the
monks in charge of a zeteía (alms gathering) in various lands, and/or the oikonómos
(head keeper) of one of the monastery’s metóchia (dependencies). The term taxídion
defines both the act of traveling for alms gathering and the land within which the alms
gathering takes place. These alms-gathering missions were undertaken by all the
Eastern Orthodox institutions, particularly monasteries, and were characterized by a
specific set of unwritten rules observed from the 16th (but mostly from the 18th) to the
19th century. The Stavronikita codex was opened in 1752, and its entries are in sequence
up until 1820. However, there is a ten-year gap after 1821, when the revolution of
Emmanuel Papas broke out in Macedonia, to which the monks of Mount Athos had
pledged support. This part of the Greek Revolution was eventually suppressed by the
Ottomans, resulting in a period of financial and social hardship for the monasteries of
Athos until 1830. The entries in the codex reappear in 1831 and reach 1872, year of the
last entry. They were written by numerous hands, and many were copied from other
sources, usually ledgers. The entries are not set by date, but by the person conducting
the taxídion. They include the dates of the journey, the name of the monk in charge,
the place he traveled to, the amount of cash brought in, as well as the contributions in
kind, which would include silverware, vestments, holy relics, icons, animals, and
landed property, accompanied by an estimation of their value. The Travelers’ Codex
does not mention the names of the donors and their contributions, which are cited in
ledgers and commemorated in church for a period depending on the extent of their
donation. Depending on the value of the deliverables, the monastery compensated the
traveler with administrative positions and titles, which usually allowed his participation
in the synaxis, i.e. the assembly of the elders. The codex also offers an image of the
duration of each taxídion, which would not normally exceed four years, but in some
cases lasted ten, or even seventeen years. The geographical distribution of the taxídia
was identical to the monastery’s network of dependencies, which served as a base for
alms gathering in their wider area. The areas extended eastwards to Eastern Thrace
and Constantinople, westwards to Central Macedonia and Moglena (also named
Óssiane), southwards to Larissa and Athens and northwards to Bucharest, where
Stavronikita held the dependency of Arhimandritou monastery. Most, however, take
place in the areas of Chalcidice, Serres and Drama. The codex of Stavronikita is, of
course, not the only of the kind found in the archives of the monasteries of Mount
Athos. Similar codices can also be found in Megiste Lavra, Vatopediou, Iviron,
Dionysiou, Xeropotamou and Docheiariou monasteries. The practice of zeteía depicted
in the Stavronikita codex is a product of the idiorrhythmic system of monastic
organization that appeared after the 14th century, according to which each monastery
is governed not by the abbot, who is now honorary for a brief period in compensation
for a profitable taxídion, but by a group of elders that includes the sacristan, the dikaíos,
and the ecclesiárches.