Saint Maximus the Greek, the son of a wealthy Greek nobleman, received an exceptional education and traveled throughout Europe in pursuit of learning. After becoming a monk on Mount Athos, he devoted himself to the study of numerous ancient manuscripts.
At one point, Vasily III of Moscow invited him to translate ecclesiastical books into Slavonic. The saint carried out this work with great care. However, disagreements and inaccuracies in the translations eventually brought him into conflict with the Metropolitan Daniel of Moscow. When he refused to translate the ecclesiastical history of Theodore, he got imprisoned. During his confinement, enlightened by the Divine Grace, he composed a canon in honor of the Holy Spirit.
After six years of imprisonment, he was sent to the city of Tver, where he lived under ecclesiastical prohibition. Despite these hardships, he continued writing and working tirelessly. Only after twenty years was he finally permitted to live freely.
The last period of his life was spent at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, where he continued translating the sacred Psalter. He reposed on January 21, 1556 and was buried near the northwestern wall of the monastery church. Numerous miracles were later reported at his tomb.
