The Organizational Structure of Mount Athos

At the beginning of the 19th century there were two types of monastic structures in Athos: huts (hermitages or kalyves) and cells. The hut was a humble dwelling for a single ascetic. It was built in deserted, inaccessible and barren places. Some hut complexes were eventually converted into bigger communities - as in the case of Clement, Zygos and Karyes. Some cells could also unite with them and turn into small monasteries, with 5, 10 or more monks living as a brotherhood according to the community rules, or even into large and great monasteries.

The fact that the sigillion of 883 speaks of the monks as dwelling in "poor marshes" does not necessarily mean that all buildings at that time were unimportant and temporary. It is of great interest that the Athonites criticized Saint Athanasios, among other things, for having erected stone buildings. However these condemnations were not focusing on the material of which they were built, as on their excessive comfort.

The monasteries of Mount Athos had a centralized organization, which over time may have become less intense or challenged by external influences. However, it was always present. The monks, as ascetics of the one Church of God, are obliged to participate in the common liturgy once a week, just as the ascetics of the ancient Skete did, and to help organize the major celebrations. This necessity creates conditions that lead to a centralized organization. Of course, there are reports of hermits who lived a solitary life for long periods in order to fight temptations alone, following the example of Saint Anthony the Great. These monks lived independent from the central organization but were rare cases of ascetics. Their holiness and excessive mental exercise were considered a worthy substitute for their participation in the liturgies and the holy sacraments. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that no monastic settlement lacked organization.

Organization was also present in the early stage of monasticism. Moreover, there is noticed a continuation of the previous one during the next phase of the revival of monasticism. The representatives of Mount Athos at the Council of 843 had to be chosen by an authority, which in turn was represented by the so-called Protos (Πρώτος = First). This characteristic of the organization of Mount Athos can be observed in all monastic settlements in the period from the 9th to the 16th century.

Byzantine Times

The Holy Community

The administration of Mount Athos, whose powers are defined in the First Typikon of Tsimiski, is settled in Karyes. In this place there was originally established a monastery responsible for the administration of the whole of Athos. However, by the appearance of other individual authorities, its effect was reduced to local importance. This monastic structure was called the Lavra of Karyes, the Skete of Karyes, Protato or Middle, because it was in the "middle" of the peninsula.

Originally, the entire territory of Mount Athos was common for all the monks of the peninsula. Saint Athanasios the Athonite was the first to raise the issue of delimiting the land of each monastery and secured a special letter from the emperor granting him the right to own certain plots of land. His example was later followed by other monks as well. Thus, the process of owning land was carried out either by acquisition by the Protos, by the previous owner, or by the development of new lands with the permission of the administration. As a rule, the Holy Community of Mount Athos did not prevent the concession of lands, as it was interested in increasing the number of monks.

Additionally, it showed little interest in expanding its territories beyond the peninsula, though it occasionally annexed other territories to the Athonite state.

The Holy Community of Mount Athos consisted of three main administrative bodies: the Protos, the Synaxis and the Senate.

The Protos

The rank of the Monk who was in charge of Mount Athos existed as early as the 9th century. However, the term "Protos" had been known since the 6th century, when the abbot of the monastery of Athos, Theodosios Sophronios, was called "the First of the Desert". As long as Athos consisted of a single community, it was headed by a governor who resided in Karyes and had the status of the abbot. With the creation of other individual communities all over the peninsula, the Lavra of Karyes was renamed as Middle Lavra and its abbot was renamed as Protos or First Abbot.

According to both the first and second constitution of Mount Athos, the selection of the First Abbot was to be made according to "old traditions”, which are not explicitly specified. Patriarch Anthony's sigilion states that the selection was made by the monks of Mount Athos. Elected by the local assembly, the Protos went to Constantinople to receive the ordination from the emperor himself, which was in fact only a compulsory formality. The Typikon of Constantine Monomachos, which became the second charter of Mount Athos, also stipulated that the old traditions should be followed in the selection of the monk for this position of great responsibility. The emperor would give to the chosen one a golden bull that would provide him with the right to rule all monasteries.

The Protos was one of the monks of Mount Athos, regardless the monastery in which he belonged. Researchers of Mount Athos have been able to gather information on 150 monks who took that rank throughout the history of the Athonite state. Thought it was impossible to establish with great accuracy the origin of each one, it is certain that many of them were monks in small and insignificant monasteries. Probably because of their small importance, these monasteries are often not mentioned at all. The fact that many monks of this position came from such small structures suggests that the large monastic communities could not exert pressure on the election process.

As a rule, the rank of the Protos of Mount Athos was given to a particularly distinguished abbot of the Athonite monasteries. However, this did not last long. Soon it was decided that the Protos was also to be chosen between the ordinary monks who could easily be replaced in the daily life of each monastery.

An example of the longest tenure in this position is the Protos Isaac, who ruled Athos for 30 years, from 1316 to 1345. On rare occasions, the reign extended to fifteen years or a decade. Scholars agree that this position was originally for life. The position of assistant of the Protos was for a term of 1 year. It was subordinate to the Community, which could extend the term or terminate it. The position of the Protos was also dependent on the Holy Community, which is why long terms are so rare, as he had to report directly to them. Often the monks themselves asked to end their tenure because of the great responsibility and complexity of duties.

The status of the Protos entailed distinct and very important duties. He had to represent Mount Athos before all authorities, especially the Emperor, the Patriarch, the Judge and the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki. He also had to preside over the assemblies and the council of the abbots, to be responsible for the maintenance of the monasteries, to distribute grants, to act as an organ of justice together with the abbots, as well as to appoint the abbot if the monastery itself was unable to fulfil this election. The Protos confirmed the election of the abbots of all monasteries, except for the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra, he handed to them the baton of abbotship and provided the permission to move away from the territory of Athos. He also had the responsibility for the moral credibility of all monks.

Synaxis

The term "Synaxis" originally meant a general gathering of the monks for the celebration of the liturgy during the major feasts. In Karyes until 972 there were three gatherings, at Christmas, Easter and the Dormition of the Mother of God, while the rest of the year the monks lived in isolation. As a rule, these meetings were attended by ascetics as well. In response to Leo Fokas's request to reveal the identity of Saint Athanasios the Athonite, the Protos of Mount Athos noted that it would be easier to do so during the first Synaxis on Christmas Day, since he would certainly be present at the celebrations.

Tsimiski's Typikon reduced the number of these meetings from three to one. The dedicated day would be the Dormition of Theotokos (15 August). This decision was explained by the favorable weather conditions, which facilitated the movement of the monks within the peninsula during summer period. Besides, the Katholikon of Karyes, as well as the whole peninsula of Athos, was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. On this day, financial aid was distributed to the abbots of the monasteries by the emperor. This aid included the amount saved from the other two Synaxis that were abolished. Perhaps this was also a reason for their abolition, since they entailed serious expenses as the number of monks in Mount Athos had already exceeded 1,000.

The Typikon does not exclude off-schedule assemblies, if necessary and by common consent. Indeed, from the 11th century onwards, there are again references to assemblies at Christmas and Easter, as well as during other feasts, such as the great feast of Saint Demetrios of Thessaloniki. Nevertheless, the largest number of participants was noticed mainly during the Synaxis on the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.

Initially, all monks from the monasteries of Mount Athos were present at this general meeting. However, certain restrictions were imposed since the temple could not accommodate such many people. The temple, which was intended for the Synaxis of Mount Athos and gathered around it all the life of Karyes was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The first years of its existence it was not distinguished by its impressive size. Undoubtedly this caused frustration among the monks. Thanks to a generous donation from Leo Fokas, who came to Athos in search of Saint Athanasios in 964, it acquired its present form. Eventually, it was named "Protaton", as it was considered to be the spiritual seat of the Proton.

Services were held in the temple, while administrative matters were handled in a separate building. The meetings of the Synaxis of Mount Athos, which did not concern the Divine Liturgy, were attended by a much larger number of monks and often by all the inhabitants of Mount Athos. These were open public meetings, where anyone could attend as a spectator or listener. The abbots of certain monasteries had the right to participate in the decisions that would be made during the Synaxis.

Some decrees issued by the Proton after the drafting of the Typikon of Tsimiski were signed by abbots of different monasteries, the number of which was only 10-15 people. The Monomachus Typikon stipulated that administrative matters were to be decided by a special assembly of 15 abbots (different each time), under the leadership of the Proton. This authority was not given a specific name. Sometimes it was called "Synaxis", which caused general confusion as the term was also used to denote the meeting. Many names were occasionally used to speak of this administrative group of monks. The term “senate” or “council of elders” is not often found in the sources but could probably be the most appropriate.

Hierarchy in the Athonite Community

The first office of the Athonite state is the secretary. During the era of the Byzantine Empire, the work of the monk who was the secretary of the Protaton remained unclear. However, he was present in every monastery and had a special position in its organization. In many cases the secretary worked also as a calligrapher. All documents of the Synaxis were written by his hand, drawn up immediately after the meetings and signed by all those present and authorised to sign. The Protos of Mount Athos was responsible not only for the distribution of financial aid from the emperor, but also for the maintenance of the community itself. Money would come from donations, monastic fees, and the sale and rental of individual cells. These kinds of financial matters were included in the duties of the housekeeper. His signature is also noted on the first constitution of Mount Athos, the Typikon of Tsimiski. According to this statute, the duties of the housekeeper included, among others. the resolution of minor disputes with the participation of 3-4 abbots from the monasteries that were involved in the problem. However, his main concern was the maintenance of the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra. The term of office for this position was one year. At the meeting of the community on the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, he would give an account of the work he had done during the year. Afterwards there was decided whether he would extend this term, if the candidate wished so, or whether there should be elected another monk for the same position.

The office of sacristan also existed in the Holy Community, as well as in every single monastery. It was first mentioned in plural in the Typikon of Monomachus. Initially there were four sacristans, while the number was later reduced to three, two and finally to one. The sacristans were responsible for maintaining order and resolving disputes, taking on some of the duties of the housekeeper. This position was abolished at the beginning of the 15th century. Its duties were divided among other bodies of the Athonite administration.

The churchwarden was responsible for maintaining order in the church. However, over time his authority increased to such an extent that in the 14th century he signed immediately after the Protos and sometimes acted as his deputy.

In the 14th century the office of supervisor, a kind of legal adviser of the Protos, probably chosen by him, had also appeared.

Living in Mount Athos

For a long time the word "agros" (field) was synonymous with the word "monastery". It was officially preferred to it when it was necessary to emphasize the importance of the monastic community. The association with a field, stated the fact that the monastery had a serious plot of land under its administration and therefore wasn’t a small community.

Three such monasteries are mentioned in the Typikon of Monomachos, when listing their privileges at the beginning, the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra, the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi and the Holy Monastery of Iviron. As the number of these institutions increased, the importance of the smaller communities diminished. In 1394 there were 27, while in the 16th century there were 20, as there are also today. It was these monasteries that over time absorbed the smaller ones, as well as the cells that surrounded them.

As mentioned in a document of 1083, the abbot of the monastery was elected in four ways, according to the monastic rules. Firstly, the acting abbot had the ability to appoint a successor of his own free will, without considering the opinion of the Protos. Secondly, in the absence of a successor, the brotherhood elected an abbot approved by the Protos. If the brotherhood could not elect a worthy monk capable for this position, it was then a task of the Protos, who searched the entire peninsula until he would find an adequate candidate. If the Protos could not reply to that need, the monks would send a letter to the emperor asking for help.

A cell could not have its own plot of land. It was located on the territory of Great Lavra of Karyes or on the territory of a certain monastery. In Mount Athos, cells were usually located near Karyes or near large monastic communities. They were headed by elders and inhabited by two to four monks. The institution of cells often took various forms. The first constitution of Mount Athos was also signed by five men who modestly called themselves 'monks', with the addition of their special status. Three of them were elders (head of the community), one was a churchwarden (responsible for order in the church) and one was a housekeeper. All of them were to be elders in cells belonging to the Holy Community. However, they did not have a direct dependence on it, except to perform their duties periodically. The monks of Iviron, to whom Saint Athanasios had provided cells within the Great Lavra, were also not directly dependent on it. As today, the characteristic feature of the inhabitants of the cells is the fact that they did not own plots of land. Vacant cells granted by the Athonite community to a monastery or person were returned to the property of the Synaxis. The Protos sold the last cells to the monasteries in 1661.

The hesychasts settled on the lands of Mount Athos that did not belong to individuals or monasteries. Any ascetic was free to settle on such lands. After three years the place was officially handed over to him by the community. Among the hesychasts there was a certain kind of organizational structure. One of them became an elder (community elder and senior clergyman), while the other was responsible for the needs of the monks.

The Avaton of Mount Athos

All holy places have their own kind of “avaton” (a prohibition of entry). Monasteries originally included a ban on lay people. However, this was especially applied to female gender. Mount Athos, considered to be an undivided monastery. Basically, it was very difficult to avoid interaction with the laity, since the presence of authorities, workers and merchants was essential in the peninsula.

The ban on women entering Mount Athos has been in place right from the beginning of the Athonite state. The only woman that is invisibly present in all the monasteries is the Virgin Mary. Many of the monastery churches and chapels are dedicated to her. Meanwhile, Mount Athos has always avoided to dedicate temples to other holy women or even depict them on their frescoes. An exception is Saint Anna, the mother of Theotokos, to whom it is dedicated the famous Skete.

The second category of people who cannot visit or settle in Mount Athos are children or "αγένειοι", i.e. those who, due to their young age, are beardless. All the published Typikos pay special attention to this point. Since many working laymen took their children as assistants in Mount Athos, this point was well noticed and highlighted.

The third category is the eunuchs, due to the fact that a woman disguised as a young man (without a beard) or as an eunuch could enter Mount Athos.

Cattle grazing was also forbidden on the territory of Mount Athos, so as not to disturb the peace and quiet of the ascetics. This prohibition was in force for a long time, sealed by a golden bull of the emperor and repeated many times in the statutes. Only two exceptions have been noted. First, the Holy Monastery of Iviron could graze cattle at the beginning of the peninsula, where there were no monastic buildings. Second, the cattle of Ierissos could graze on the peninsula in case of enemy invasion. Additionally, it was forbidden to build stables and install hives.

It was forbidden to keep cattle and domestic animals in Athos. This did not apply, however, to wild animals, as their movements could not be monitored. In some cases, there were allowed the keeping of horses, that appeared to be necessary for such a mountainous terrain, as well as of bulls and cows, in the case of Great Lavra. This exception could be a cause of resentment among the other monasteries and cause unrest, so a ban on all female animals was soon introduced.

There have not been so many violations of these prohibitions in the history of Mount Athos. Nonetheless, there are mentioned several empresses who set foot on the Athonite land. One of them is Helen, who visited Mount Athos with her husband Stephen Dusan in 1347. Other well-known cases are closely intertwined with legends and tales and are composed, probably to emphasise the prohibition of women entering the holy garden of Theotokos. A great example is Galla Placidia, who wanted to visit the temple of Vatopaidi, but could go no further because she heard the voice of the Virgin Mary coming from Her holy icon and saying: "Go no further. What are you looking for here, woman? Although you are a queen, this place is not your reign but mine." Maro, the benefactress of Athos and mother of Sultan Muhammad the Conqueror, wanted to bring gifts to the peninsula herself. She was also told that Athos was the reign of another queen.

Today, the main ban on entry to Mount Athos is for women, as eunuchs and beardless children are still allowed to enter, though there is still a ban on their monastic shearing. Finally, particular attention is paid to the clothing of those visiting the holy places.