By Konstantinos Holevas,
Political Scientist
Political Scientist
To the Hellenism that was wintering from the Turkish conquest, Divine Providence sent a great figure in the 16th century. He is Saint Damaskinos the Studite, whom our Church honors on November 27. A cleric, scholar, militant Orthodox, author of wonderful books, wise, modest and ascetic, Damaskinos was an excellent Shepherd in the two Diocese where the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent him. First to the Diocese of Liti and Rentini (today's Metropolis of Lagada) and then to the Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Arta, as it was then called.
Damaskinos was born in Thessaloniki probably in 1520. He studied in Constantinople and had as his teacher the famous Theophanes Eleavoulkos Notaras. He was associated with the historic Monastery of Stoudios, which is why he was called a Studite. He collaborated closely with important Patriarchs such as Metrophanes, Joasaph II the Magnificent and Jeremias the Tranos. He was elected Bishop of Liti and Rentini in 1560 and his ordination took place in Thessaloniki and in particular in the well-known Church of the Rotunda, today the Church of Saint George. Due to the Turkish occupation, the Metropolitan Church of Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki had been converted into a mosque and for a time the Rotunda, known as the Church of the Archangels, served as the Metropolitan Church.
Due to his prestige, he also acquired the title: President of Polyani (i.e. of present-day Kilkis). Due to his education, he was sent by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to Little Russia (Ukraine and Belarus) to support the Orthodox flock against the propaganda of the Papists, who were supported by the Lithuanian conquerors. Also, due to the admiration that many had for his knowledge, he was invited to participate in the committee for dialogue with the Lutheran theologians of the University of Tübingen, who had written the "Augsburg Confession".
In 1573, Damaskinos was named President of the Diocese of Demonikos and Elassonos and resided for a short time in the Monastery of Olymbiotissa near Elassona.
In 1574, he was promoted to a higher position. Liti was a diocese under the Archbishop of Thessaloniki. Now it is under Arta, the seat of a Metropolitan with a large area. During the Turkish occupation, the Bishop of Nafpaktos and Arta served three current prefectures: Arta, Preveza and Aitoloakarnania. He died there in 1577. The scholar Symeon Kabasilas of Akarnania wrote the following epigram, to praise the ancient Greek education and ethos of Damaskinos:
“To the man, similar to the Immortals, who wrote these works,
Alas, the dust of the Aetolians concealed him so that he would hardly be seen,
A grievous time has brought decay to the wisdom of the Greeks,
And he left all philhellenes orphaned.
To the most learned Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Arta, Lord Damaskinos, and his book.”
We see that Symeon praises Damaskinos as the bearer of the wisdom of the Greeks, a fact that proves that during that period the name Hellene did not cease to be used alongside the names Roman and Greek.
For his great contribution and the holy life of Damaskinos, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2013, with the actions of Metropolitan John of Lagada, Liti and Rentini, declared him a Saint and appointed him to be celebrated every year on November 27.
Damaskinos was a true teacher of the enslaved Nation. The 16th century was a dark period with persecutions of Christians by the Ottoman rulers, conversions to Islam, humiliations, prohibitions and other sufferings. The Orthodox Church struggled to preserve not only the Faith, but also their language and national identity. Whoever converted to Islam was said to have become a Turk. In simple words: Whoever was lost regarding Orthodoxy was also lost regarding Hellenism. Damaskinos was fully aware of the difficulties and responsibilities. He gave importance to Christian and Greek education.
In support of the Faith, he wrote in 1558 the “Service and Encomium to the New Martyr Nicholas”. After all, he was related to another New Martyr, Damianos from Myrichovo Karditsa. He also wrote verses imitating Homer’s dactylic hexameter. He had knowledge of the natural sciences, as can be seen in his work: “Prognostic signs about rain, wind, from the stars and the moon, from various poets and teachers, a poem by Damaskinos, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Arta."
His most famous and widely read work was written when Damaskinos was a simple subdeacon. It is titled: “Treasury of Damaskinos the Subdeacon and Studite of Thessaloniki, with the addition at the end of seven other discourses of spiritual benefit and the explanation of the Our Father.” The book contains 36 hagiological, panegyrical and ethical discourses, written in a language understandable to the common people. The "Treasury" was translated into almost all the languages of the Balkans and was of great benefit to the Orthodox, who had to stand up against the oppressive Ottoman Islam and the propaganda of Western Christians.
The memory of Saint Damaskinos the Studite is solemnly honored in the two Metropolises he served: in the current Metropolis of Lagada, Liti and Rentini and in the Metropolis of Arta. We pray that we may have his blessing!
Source: From the newspaper ORTHODOXI ALITHIA 11/27/2019. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.