1. The first three Christian centuries
Apostle Paul was the first to preach Christianity in Boeotia. After his first stay in Corinth (50-51) Paul, together with Evangelist Luke, visited Thebes where there were extant Jewish communities. Paul appointed as first bishop of Thebes Rufus, who suffered martyrdom between 54 and 68 A.D., under emperor Nero. Archeological research has brought to light catacombs and early Christian tombs in Thebes, bearing evidence on the living conditions and the suffering end of the first Christians. Archaeological evidence shows that in Livadeia, birthplace of Saint Reginos (c. 285-363), bishop of Skopelos, there was a Christian community during the early Christian times.
2. 4th – 7th c.
The prevalence of Christianity in Boeotia is attested by the presence of bishops, particularly in the town of Thebes, as well as by epigraphic evidence. With regard to the 4th century, we know the names of bishops Julius of Thebes and Athenodoros of Plataea, who attended the Council of Serdica in 343, while the names of other bishops are recorded regarding the 5th century as well. In the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesos in 431 participated bishop Anysios of Thebes and Agathocles of Koroneia. In the so-called Robber Council at Ephesos in 449 and the Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in 451 took part Domninos as bishop of Plataea. In the epistle send by the participators at the Council of Corinth and addressed to the emperor Leo I in 458, are listed as bishops Archetimos of Thebes, Hesychios of Tanagra, Rufinus of Thespiai, Aphobios of Koroneia and Plutarch of Plataea. In a bishops’ council in 459 at Constantinople were present Plutarch of Plataea and Aphobios of Koroneia. The bishopric of Thespiai is recorded in an epistle of pope Leo I to the metropolitans of the province of Achaia in 446.
Many early Christian basilicas are attested in the entire prefecture of Boeotia, simultaneously with the formation of church organization, a sign of the establishment of Christianity in the area. An early example is the church of Hagia Triada in Tanagra, according to epigraphic evidence.
3. 8th – 10th c.
In the year 732 the thema of Hellas was one of the regions of eastern Illyricum detached from papal Church and put under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This administrative re-organization of the Church brought the revival of many ecclesiastical centers in Greece, such as Thebes and Patras, as well of tens of smaller towns which had stayed long enough on the fringe of historical evolution. Great impetus, however, to the Church of Boeotia, as well as to the development of the region in general, gave the elevation of Thebes to the capital of the thema of Hellas around the year 806. A proof of the new era was the church of Saint Gregory at Thebes (872) and the church of Theotokos of Skripou at Orchomenos (874), on the inscriptions of which the name of protospatharios Leo survives.
Concerning the order of precedence in the Eastern Church, to which the bishops of Boeotia are included, we gather information from the notitiae episcopatuum, where precise dates are very difficult to define. According to Notitia 2 (c. 733) the bishop of Thebes appears in the 38th place among the autocephalous archbishops, while in the iconoclastic Notitia 3 (c. 754) he is subordinate to the metropolitan of Athens, in the 18th place of the church hierarchy. In the 22nd place is the bishop of Keronia (Chaeronea), in the 23rd place the bishop of Koponia (Koroneia), in the 27th place the bishop of Livadeia, in the 28th place the bishop of Platia (Plataea), in the 30th place the bishop of Dauma (Dauleia), in the 34th place the bishop of Ambrosia (Distomo), in the 35th place the bishop of Ampisyra (Antikyra), in the 36th place the bishop of Stipi (Steiri) and in the 37th place the bishop of Thesava (Thespiai).
To the beginnings of the 10th century (between 901 and 907) is dated the Taxis of patriarch Nicolas the Mystikos. Thebes was under the Constantinopolitan patriarchate and held the 35th place between 51 archbishoprics. In another chronologically close Taxis, that of Leo VI the Wise, Thebes was listed as the 57th metropolis, title which the local church would hold from the beginnings of the 10th century until the Latin conquest in 1204, always under the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In Notitia 8 (920-980), the metropolis of Thebes holds the 58th place. In Notitiae 7, 9, 10 and 13 the bishoprics of Diauleia and Koroneia are placed under the jurisdiction of the Athenian metropolis. Regarding the surviving names of bishops, archbishop of Thebes Markianos participated in the Eight Ecumenical Council in 869/70. Additionally, in the beginnings of the 10th century is reported on the one side the arrival of Arethas of Kaisareia in Thebes in 906 to arrange some church issues and on the other side an epistle of patriarch Nicolas I the Mystikos, addressed to the strategos of the thema of Hellas, probably in 912. From the latter’s content appears that the town’s population was divided into two parties fighting each other by supporting either Euthymios or Nicolas the Mystikos for the patriarchal seat of Constantinople.
4. 11th – 12th c.
The oldest surviving report on the title of the metropolitan of Thebes appears in the statute of Theotokos Nafpaktiotissa in 1048, which is linked with the foundation of the homonymous fraternity at Thebes. Under Alexios I Komnenos (possibly between 1082-1084), Thebes held the 57th place in hierarchy out of 80 metropolises. Around 1143, the so-called Typikon of Neilos Doxapatris ranked the metropolis of Thebes in the 53rd place out of 65 metropolises, controlling three bishoprics. In Notitia 13 from the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180) the metropolis held the 59th place and controlled five bishoprics (Kanala, Zaratova, Kaistorion, Trichia, Platani). In Notitia 15 dated to the middle of the 12th century, the metropolis of Thebes was in the 57th place, as did in the contemporary Notitia 16, too.
In this thematic unit under discussion, a leading figure of Theban as well of Boeotian Church was the metropolitan John Kaloktenis (c. 1166-1190). The metropolitan of Thebes John (Kossiphis) appears to have signed a synodical act on March 1072. His successor was Peter, whose service in Thebes is attested for the year 1079. In the Cadaster of Thebes, as well, dated between 1070 and 1100, bishop Konstantinos is reported, to whom probably belonged two seals, upon which he is inscribed metropolitan of Thebes (around 1080). To the end of the 11th century is dated the seal of pastor Niketas coming from Thebes. Also, on seals probably from the 11th century appear the names of the bishops of Dauleia, Basil and Theodore. Finally, from the epistles of Michael Choniates we know two metropolitans of Thebes, John Kaloktenis and Manuel (possibly between 1190 and 1204).
5. The Frankish period
During the Frankish period Latin archbishops were enthroned in Athens as well in Thebes, whereas Orthodox metropolitans were exiled. The same happened to other Orthodox bishops, clergymen, monks and believers. Duke Otto de la Ross asked from the papal Church to appoint a Catholic priest in every castle and town of his jurisdiction and bestowed Livadeia as a holding of the Holy See. The monastery of Hosios Loukas was put under the jurisdiction of Holy Sepulchre, while monastic orders, such as the Hospitallers and the Templars, expropriated estates and monasteries in the region of Thebes. During the Frankish period the Orthodox Church was in persecution and many caves in Boeotia were turned into Orthodox churches.
In spite of the Latin conquest, Thebes continued to appear in the Taktika from the era of Palaiologoi. Under Michael VIII Palaiologos (1261-1282), the metropolis of Thebes held the 57th place, without yet any bishoprics, while in the Ekthesis of Andronikos II Palaiologos (1282-1328) was in the 69th place. Finally, in the so-called Ekthesis of Andronikos III Palaiologos (1328-1341), Thebes is reported as 56th among 110 metropolises and the metropolitan of Thebes bore the title of hypertimos. The most well-known Latin archbishop after 1204 and until the Ottoman conquest was Simon Atumano (around 1366-1380). Finally, in Notitia 21, which is dated to the early Ottoman period, the Theban metropolis was subordinate to the patriarchate of Constantinople, holding the 37th place out of 72 metropolises.
6. Monasticism
Hosios Loukas who lived in the 10th century, is considered the leading figure of Boeotian monasticism. The foundation of the monastery of Hosios Loukas near Steiri in Boeotia is dated between 946 and 953, when Loukas retired in the region where he died. Around 970 is dated the arrival and probably the short stay of Nikon Metanoeite at Thebes. Since we know from his Life the way he is connected with the expansion of St. Photeini’s cult, it has been suggested that the homonymous monastery off Thebes was founded during his short stay in the town. In the 11th century the monastery of Theotokos Nafpaktiotissa was founded at Pyri in Thebes. During Hosios Loukas’ lifetime is also dated the monastery of Saint Anthony, probably on the site of Kanavari west of Thebes, where Hosios Loukas stayed every time he visited the town. In the course of time plenty of monasteries were founded in Boeotia, among them the monastery of Jerusalem at Mount Parnassus, the monasteries of Makariotissa and Evangelistria at Mount Helicon, that of Sagmata at Mount Hypation, of Zoodochos Pege at Dervenochoria etc.
|
|
|