Summary
Charizanis Georgios, Papikion - Ganos - Paroria. The famous monastic centres of the Byzantine Thrace
Monasticism came to Thrace from the East. In Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the first monasteries were established in the end of the 4th c. (the monasteries of Isaacios or Dalmatou, Diou, Rufinianai or Saint Hypatios in Chalkedon and Akoimetoi). In the extended region of Thrace and particularly in the northeast end of the early byzantine dioecesis Thraciae, in the province of Scythia Minor, near the mouth of Danube river, established during the reign of the emperor Arcadius (395-408) from the Armenian soldier Jonas the castellion (fortified monastery) of Halmyrissos. Generally for the monasticism of Thrace during the early Byzantine period until the final end of the Iconoclasm in 843, the information is not complete and not adequately detailed. After the end of the Iconoclasm and the restoration of the internal peace in the Byzantine Empire, from mid-9th c. and afterwards, monasticism in Thrace had remarkably flourished. Small and large monasteries, as well as three major monastic centres were established in Thrace: Papikion, Ganos and Paroria. The purpose of this article is to show the significance and importance of the three aforementioned monastic centres for Thrace. Papikion was founded in the south of Rhodopi mountain, north, northwest from the byzantine Mosynopolis and the contemporary city of Komotini. Its beginnings are dated to the 1st half of the 11th c. The Protos was responsible for the administration of the monastic centre. Monasteries which were included in the Papikion monastic centre were probably the following: of Cosmas Tzintziloukios or Theometor Tzintziloukiotissa, of Saint Georgios (it is not certain whether it is the same with the monastery of Saint Georgios Vroulokepou) and of dikaios Antonios. Archeological evidence found in the south slopes of Papikion mountain proves the existence of other monasteries. In Papikion, holy Maximos Kausokalyvites (+1365) practiced solitary life for a 19 period of time, as did saint Gregorios Palamas (1296-1359), later metropolitan bishop of Thessaloniki. The other important monastic centre of Thrace was this of Ganos situated in a distance of 15 km southwest from Rhaedestos (nowadays Tekir dağ). It was extended along the northwest shore of Propontida (sea of Marmara). Its beginnings are dated to the 10th-1st half of the 11th c. According to seals, we know that the superior of this monastic centre was a protos. From the number of byzantine and postbyzantine monasteries which were established formerly there, there are only ruins nowadays. In Ganos, Athanasios practiced solitary life and afterwards became patriarch of Constantinople (1289-1293, 1303-1309) and also holy Maximos Kausokalyvites, became here a monk. Paroria, the third famous monastic centre of Thrace, owe its establishment and reputation to holy Gregorios Sinaites (+1346). They are placed in the north slopes of Strantza mountain (nowadays Yildiz dağ), in the borders of contemporary Turkey with Bulgaria. During the 14th c, Paroria were the borders between Byzantium and Bulgaria. Holy Gregorios Sinaites came and settled finally in Paroria after 1335. There he established a great central lavra and other three smaller lavrae and organised an important international monastic centre. He accepted significant economic assistance and other donations from the czar of Bulgarians, Ivan Alexander (1331-1371). After the death of Gregorios Sinaites, his disciples spread the ideas of Hesyhasmus in Bulgaria, Serbia and other regions of the Haemus peninsula. Generally, the spiritual and cultural contribution of the aforementioned monastic centres of Thrace (Papikion, Ganos, Paroria) was during the last Byzantine centuries, continuous and invaluable.
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