The Monastery of Agaurwn at Mount Olympus in Bithynia Through the Life of Saint Eustratios (BHG 645)

Abstract

This presentation deals with the monastery of Agaurwn at Olympus of Bithynia as referenced in “the Life of saint Eustratios (BHG 645)”, who was the abbot (hegoumenos) of the Agaurwn monastery according to codex Sabbaiticus number 242. This codex can be found in the Patriarchal Library of Jerusalem. Mysian Olympus is considered one of the most imposing mountains in the region of Bithynia with steep points which during the Byzantine years was a place of settlement for the monks. Organized monastic movement was observed especially during the period of Iconoclasm (726-787 and 815-843), and thus the monastery of Agaurwn became an important monastic center during the Byzantine Empire. The spreading of monks at Olympus of Bithynia was due to its geographical location, the proximity to Constantinople and the formation of a network of roads that helped communication and accessibility. The monastery of Agaurwn was built in the beginning of the 8th century and was dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damianos. In the Life of Eustratios, the location of the monastery is precisely determined. The monastery was built in a place called Kalymnos, which was fifteen stadia (about 3 kilometers) from the small town of Prousa at the foot of Mount Trichalikos and near a river called Nilufer. The name of the monastery in the ancient references was in the singular, while later, because the monastery was inhabited by eunuchs, its name was changed to “the monastery of the Augarwn”, which with an anagram became Agaurwn. The monastery of Agaurwn developed great activity in the religious life of Bithynia during the eighth century. The monastery had many shares (metochia), engaged in the production of goods and their export around Constantinople. A lot of topographical information is provided in the Life of Eustratios which is a valuable source for the mapping of the region.

Keywords

• Bithynia
• Mount Olympus
• Monastery of Agaurwn
• saint Eustratios
• hagiography
• Byzantine period.

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