The Great Lavra and the Monastic Republic of Athos

Monks were living on Mount Athos before the Lavra was built. When Athanasius the Athonite came there from Mount Kyminas, it was the protos, the first among the monks, and the elders who assigned him a place for his cell, as their custom was (Athanasius, Typikon 6–8).

Athanasius tells the story of the foundation himself, some ten years later. The general Nikephoros II Phokas, whom he had known at Kyminas, wished to become a monk. While commanding the campaign against Crete he summoned Athanasius to the island and pressed him to build a lavra beside his cell on Athos, where the general would join him when the war was over. Athanasius, who wanted solitude, resisted (Athanasius, Typikon 2–5). After the victory Nikephoros sent a monk with a letter and six pounds (litrai) of gold. Cells were built for him and a church was begun (Athanasius, Typikon 6–8).

Less than four months later Nikephoros was proclaimed emperor. Athanasius left the church half built, went to the capital and reproached him. The emperor swore that he still meant to keep his vow and told him to finish the work, and he paid part of the cost (Athanasius, Typikon 6–8). Athanasius describes the labour of clearing rock and forest on a headland with no harbour, a hundred miles from the mainland by his reckoning (Athanasius, Typikon 8; 10). By the emperor’s charter, which he quotes, the Lavra was to have eighty monks with Athanasius as superior; once the emperor too was dead the monks were to choose their own superior from among themselves; and the house was never to be given to any person or made subject to another monastery, but to remain “free and self-governing” (Athanasius, Typikon 12).

A large endowed community among hermits brought conflict. After Nikephoros’s death the protos and another monk went to the emperor John Tzimiskes with complaints against Athanasius. The emperor sent Euthymios, a monk of the Stoudios monastery, who sat for a week with all the superiors, found both parties blameless and then drew up rules for the whole Mountain (Tragos (Typikon of John Tzimiskes) preface; closing clause). Among them: monks are not to trade in land for profit, wine is not to be sold to laymen, and boys and eunuchs are not to be admitted. The charter was signed by the emperor, the protos, Athanasius and the other superiors (Tragos (Typikon of John Tzimiskes) 13–16; 28 and signatures).

Between them the two documents show a self-governing monastery under the emperor’s protection, hermits beside it, and a yearly assembly of the superiors with the protos (Athanasius, Typikon 12) (Tragos (Typikon of John Tzimiskes) preface; closing clause).