Listed 2 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for wider area of: "THESPROTIA Prefecture EPIRUS" .
GIROMERI (Village) FILIATES
1228 - 1334
The founder and first possessor of the Monastery was Saint Nilos Erihiotis
(1228-1334), who came from Constantinople
and was a descendant of the imperial generation of Laskaris. He became a monk
at a very young age at the famous Monastery of Akimiton, where he changed his
name from Nikolaos to Nilos. Many years later he was a pilgrim at Jerusalem.
Coming back, he contradicted the Emperor Michael Paleologos 8th, over
the disputable - at the time - issue of the union of the Eastern and Western Church.
He was convicted for his convictions and was abandoned in a boat to be lost at
sea. The Holy Providence led him to the coast of Mount
Athos, to the Monastery
Iviron, where he stayed for three years as a door - keeper.
Returning to Constantinople, he was honoured by the new Emperor, Andronikos
Paleologos but he did not stay in the royal city for long. He started a new journey
lasting for many years during which he visited many places in the Holy Land and
then, passing through the Aegean islands, Peloponnese
and Corfu, he arrived
at Avlona in Ipiros
(Vlore in Albania), where he stayed for some years.
Some years later after an invitation from the residents of Thesprotia,
he proceeded southwards to the area of Giromeri and settled in an old hermitage
in the cave of a steep rock.
Soon, a small fraternity of hermits were gathered near him. According
to legend the hermits spotted a glittering light on the opposite mountain and
upon investigation they discovered the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary Odigitria
(the Conductress). It was at this site where the foundations of todays Monastery
were built.
On the 2nd January 1334 at the age of 106 years old, Saint Nilos died,
after drawing up his will and nominating his successor. His body was interred
a short distance from the Monastery and is still there today. Some years after
his death, when its removal was attempted, a bulky rock fell and covered the grave,
upon divine intervention. Nowadays, there is a small chapel on the grave of Saint
Nilos.
FOTIKI (Ancient city) THESPROTIA
Marcus Diadochus. A short treatise, entitled ton makariou Markou tou Diadochou kata Areianon logos,
Beati Marci Diadochi Sermo contra Arianos, was published with a Latin version,
by Jo. Rudolph. Wetstenius, subjoined to his edition of Origen, De Oratione, 4to.
Basel, 1694, and was reprinted, with a new Latin version, in the Bibliotheca Patrum
of Galland, vol. v. p. 242. There has been considerable doubt as to the time and
place in which the author lived. Some have identified him, but without reason,
with Diadochus, bishop of Photice, in Epeirus Vetus (Photikes tes en tei palaiai
Epeiroi episkopos), who wrote a work on the ascetic life which is briefly described
by Photius (Bibl. cod. 201), and whom critics, on uncertain ground, assign to
the middle of the fifth century. But there is no ground for this identification,
as Diadochus of Photice does not appear to have been ever called Marcus. Others
suppose Marcus Diadochus to have been one of the two Egyptian bishops of the name
of Marcus, who were banished by the Arians during the patriarchate of George of
Cappadocia at Alexandria, and who, having been restored in the reign of Julian,
were present (A. D. 362) at a synod held at Alexandria, and are named in the heading
of the letter of Athanasius, usually cited as Tomus ad Antiochenos. (Comp. Athanas.
Apolog. de Fuga sua, c. 7.) Galland suggests that Marcus Diadochus may have been
one of two bishops of the name of Marcus, ordained by Alexander, the predecessor
of Athanasius, and who were banished by the Arians, one into the Oasis Magna in
Upper Egypt, and the other to the Oasis of Ammon (Athanas. Hist. Arianor. ad Monach.
c. 72); but we identify these with the two just mentioned. (Falric. Bibl. Graec.
vol. ix. p. 266, &c.; Cave, Hist. Litt. ad ann. 356, vol. i. p. 217; Galiand.
Bibioth. Putrum. Proleg. ad Vol. V. c. 14.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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