The island


Located in the northern part of the Dodecanese islands, Patmos is a small, barren and rocky island. Volcanic soil and infrequent rains deprive the island of vegetation and crops, thus driving the inhabitants to the sea; at the same time they made for an abstract and otherworldly landscape, suitable to accommodate the apocalyptic writings of John the Theologian.

Ancient Patmos is attested by scattered and fragmentary field findings. The archaeological record shows no Minoan or Mycenaean finds and only a few Geometric and Archaic remains, no more than hinting at the pre-Christian era on the island. To this day the most important archaeological site on the island is Kastelli, in the central part of the west coast. Pottery remains and stone tools from the Bronze Age confirm that the area was inhabited, though the signs of organization and walling date to the late classic period. Kastelli appears to have been inhabited until the Roman period. The ruins of a temple dedicated to Patmian Artemis offer solid evidence of a cult in her name, on the site later used to build the Monastery of St. John the Theologian. Like Leros, the island was a satellite of the mighty city of Miletus.

The fact that Patmos served as a place of exile in late Roman times undoubtedly determined the island’s history and development. In contrast to the archaeological evidence on most Aegean islands, only a few finds offer a glimpse of the early Christian era prior to the turning point marked by the foundation of the monastery in mid-Byzantine times. Indeed, most of the finds were preserved by being walled into the monastery and village houses. A lengthy period of abandonment is recorded in the so-called "Dark Ages" (7th-9th centuries), due to relentless raids and looting by Arab pirates.

Tradition has it that John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, was exiled to barren Patmos in around 95 AD, during the persecutions of Emperor Domitian; it was during his stay on the island that John wrote two of the religious texts central to Christian faith, the Gospel According to John and the Apocalypse. Inextricably linked to this tradition is the founding of the monastery by Blessed Christodoulos Latrinus in 1088. Having petitioned Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, he managed to secure a chrysobull granting him the island and other privileges so as to found a monastery dedicated to the Evangelist. The monastery was erected at the summit of the hill, over the remains of an ancient temple and an early Christian basilica. Over time the settlement known as Chora (the island capital) grew up around it, merging to form a densely built and labyrinthine architectural complex.

The island did not manage to escape pillage and destruction by pirates; Turks, Saracens and Normans systematically raided Patmos in the 12th century, scarring the island. Yet life held out - the settlement expanded and grew stronger, the monastery buildings were completed, and in the late 12th and early 13th centuries the refectory and Chapel of the Virgin Mary were decorated with fresco compositions. In 1309 the island was conquered by the Knights Hospitaller. Over the next century Patmos served as the theatre of war between the Venetians and Ottomans, but succeeded in maintaining its privileges via the monastery. In 1522 the islands were incorporated into the Ottoman Empire, thus fostering a period of relative stability and peace for Patmos. The population grew gradually over the 16th and 17th centuries, bolstered by refugees from Constantinople and Crete. Together with greater local involvement in trade and shipping, this resulted in the rise of a new noble class linked to an era of development and prosperity on Patmos. A serious blow to recovery was dealt in 1659, when a Venetian named Morosini pillaged the island in retaliation for the monastery entering into negotiations with the Turks. With all its disastrous consequences, this diplomatic blunder on the monastery’s part shook faith in its integrity, robbing it thereafter of the centralising role it played for Patmos. The settlement began to grow and expand following the arrival of Cretan refugees from the fall of Candia in 1669, while release from monastery control lent impetus to the rise of a class of seafarers. The School of Patmos was founded in 1713. All of these factors contributed to the island experiencing an unprecedented period of economic vigour and intellectual growth.


Glossary (5)

Paleo-Christian (early Christian) era: in Byzantine history, the period that typically starts in 330 AD, when Constantine the Great transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to his newly-founded city of Constantinople, and ends with the death of Justinian in 565.
chrysobull: official public document or decree issued by the emperors of Byzantium, with an authenticating gold stamp on the silk band that accompanied it.
basilica: type of large church, divided internally into three or more naves. The central nave was usually covered by a raised roof with windows that illuminated the space.
chapel: small sized church, either independent, belonging to a religious foundation, or part of a larger church. In Byzantium chapels were often used for burials.
wall paintings or murals: Painted scenes on a wall or ceiling surface.


Information Texts (4)

The monastery of Agios Ioannis Theologos: The Monastery of Agios Ioannis Theologos on Patmos is a unique example of medieval monastic architecture and a place of considerable religious interest, being one of the largest monasteries in the Aegean. Tradition has it that John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, was exiled to barren Patmos in around 95 AD, during the persecutions of Emperor Domitian; it was during his stay on the island that John wrote two of the religious texts central to Christian faith, the Gospel According to John and the Apocalypse. Inextricably linked to this tradition is the founding of the monastery by Blessed Christodoulos Latrinus in 1088.Having petitioned Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, he managed to secure a chrysobull granting him the island and other privileges so as to found a monastery dedicated to the Evangelist.The monastery was erected on the summit of the hill, over the remains of an ancient temple and an early Christian basilica. Over time the settlement known as Chora (the island capital) grew up around it, merging to form a densely built and labyrinthine architectural ensemble.The monastery complex is surrounded by an irregularly shaped, many sided medieval wall 15 m in height. The interior is on several levels, including cell wings, auxiliary buildings, galleries and chapels dating to the 16th and 17th century, built around the catholicon as their focal point. The latter is a late 11th century composite four-column cross-in-square church, with attached chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Christodoulos. The surviving wall paintings are fine, rarely encountered depictions of evangelical scenes probably painted by a Cretan School artist, dating from the second decoration phase in the early 17th century. The chapel of the Virgin Mary has an important fresco ensemble displaying the monumental tendency of the late 12th century. The famed monastery library and sacristy house treasures and heirlooms of inestimable historical and artistic value, such as rare collections of Byzantine and post-Byzantine manuscripts, imperial documents, books, icons and miniature works. The Monastery of Agios Ioannis Theologos on Patmos (an impressive architectural monument and repository of Byzantine culture), the Cave of the Apocalypse and Chora (Patmos town) were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999, as a prominent Greek Orthodox pilgrimage centre of outstanding architectural interest.
Alexius I Comnenus: Emperor of Byzantium from 1081 to 1118, founder of the Comnenian dynasty. Son of John Comnenus and Anna Dalassene, he was originally a general in the imperial army. Using this position he led a revolt supported by the army and the aristocracy, which ended in the capture of Constantinople and his ascension to the imperial throne on 1 April 1081. The empire Alexius inherited was at a very critical juncture: the aristocracy were in revolt, the Seljuks had taken over much of Asia Minor and the capital and the Danubian provinces were under attack. The raids continued at greater or lesser intensity over several years. To address these difficulties, Alexius turned to the West, and signed peace treaties with the Venetians and the Germans. With regard to domestic affairs, he attempted to reform and revitalize the economy and trade so as to stop deflation of the Byzantine currency, and overhauled the administration. The first Crusade took place during his reign. Alexius exercised diplomacy in dealing with the waves of crusaders, providing them with vessels to cross over to Asia Minor. After extensive negotiations, the crusader leaders agreed to hand back any lands they might capture that had previously belonged to the Byzantine Empire. However, Alexius failed to prevent them capture Antioch and Jerusalem. He died in 1118.
The city: Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, was built on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn, the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade routes linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople in 330 AD as a city to rival Rome in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of space and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new strong walls that protected Constantinople until the end of the Byzantine Empire. The city was laid out after Rome. A main road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden Gate. On this road was the Forum, a circular plaza with a statue of Constantine mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings. Theodosius I and Arcadius later built more forums decorated with their own statues. Following the Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople with magnificent edifices, palaces, baths and public buildings. This time also saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom), the church which served as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine period. During the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced major problems that threw it into disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in 674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural disasters (a powerful, destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited building activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on strengthening the city's fortifications. With the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the 9th to the 11th century, Constantinople became the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as Jews, Armenians, Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia. Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with an emphasis on establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages and schools. Higher education flourished, thanks to the care of the state and the emergence of important scholars. This renaissance lasted until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor management set in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the borders. The Crusaders left Constantinople entirely unscathed when first passing through, but in the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those inhabitants they did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael VIII Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved unable to restore the city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it was, the empire was incapable of checking the advance of the Ottomans, and in 1453 Constantinople finally fell into their hands. The fall signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual tradition remained significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions of Crete and the Peloponnese, as well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West.
The island: As the largest island in the Greek archipelago, with a culture all of its own, Crete has made its mark on Greek history and often determined its course. Having developed a fully fledged culture from as early as Neolithic times, Crete heralded the dawn of civilization in the wider European area. The lasting period of prosperity from 2800 to 1100 BC is associated with Minoan civilization. Irrefutable evidence of its range and splendour lies in the old and new palaces erected at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros; in the development of important sites such as Agia Triada, Gortyn, Zominthos, Myrtos, Fournou Koryfi, etc.; in the evolution of a sophisticated, rich and vibrant art; in the commercial supremacy of the Minoans on the seas; and in the spread of their products, pottery, artefacts and artistic trends throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The collapse of the palatial system and the decline of Minoan civilization were followed by Mycenaean infiltration and the transition to the Iron Age, which in no way recalled the glories of the past. In historic times Crete may not have lost its status as trading centre, but it was relegated to the margins of the Greek world, which was thenceforth associated with the major centres of Athens, Sparta and later Macedonia. The island’s principal urban centres at that time were at Knossos, Lato, Praisos, Cydonia and Gortyn. In 69 BC the Romans took the island by force. They designated Gortys as their administrative seat, which emerged as a major centre of the time. In the 1st century Crete received Christianity as preached by the Apostle Paul; the island’s churches were organized by Paul’s disciple Titus in 63 AD. The spread of Christianity between the 4th and 8th century led to the construction of a considerable number of basilicas, all typical of the Early Christian period, such as those at Sougia, Chersonisos, Panormo, Eleutherna, Sybritos, Frangokastelo and Gortys. Sources reveal that Crete then formed part of the Diocese of Moesia (Dioecesis Moesiarum or Illyricum Orientale), which was directly dependent on the Church of Rome; the Episcopal Province of Crete had about twenty bishoprics, with Gortys as its metropolitan see. During the iconoclast controversy under Constantine V, in around 754, the Church of Crete broke away from Rome and was annexed to the throne of Constantinople. In 823 civil war broke out on Crete between Thomas the Slav and Emperor Michael II. Meanwhile, a series of uprisings by Andalusian Arabs against the Caliph of Cordoba in the West Mediterranean led to their being banished from the Iberian Peninsula, thus rendering the island vulnerable to attack. Denied access to the north coast of Africa, they set their sights on Crete. Α series of assaults in 826 resulted in forty Arab battle ships entering Souda Bay. The island was pillaged for several days and then taken over; Gortys was razed to the ground, and the Arabs established a new capital on the site of ancient Heraclea, erecting a substantial fortress with deep ditches, which they named al-Chandak (later known as Chandax). From there they organised an extensive series of attacks against the Aegean islands, plunging them into destruction and desolation. Emperor Michael II’s efforts to recover Crete by 829 failed to rid the island of the Arab presence, as did an initially successful attempt by Michael III in 843. The baton then passed to Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, in whose reign Nicephorus Phocas became known as a man of military prowess. Once Porphyrogenitus had been succeeded by Romanos II, in 960 Nicephorus launched a military campaign to liberate Crete. The following year, following several months of operations, this ended in the surrender of Chandax. The island returned to Byzantine rule as a theme, with its church and administration reorganized by Phocas. For fear of a renewed Arab threat the capital was temporarily moved to the hinterland behind Chandax, surrounded by a strong wall. In the religious sphere Phocas formed associations with spiritual fathers such as Saint Nikon Metanoeite (“Repent”) and Saint John Xenos, reorganized new episcopal sees far from the coast and moved others to new locations. In the late 10th century the cathedral of Agios Titos (Saint Titus), was built at Gortys, on the ruins of an early Christian three-nave vaulted basilica. The second period of Byzantine rule lasted until Constantinople was conquered by the Crusaders in 1204. After the capital fell, the island was briefly occupied (until 1217) by Enrico Pescatore, Genoese count of Malta, who made concerted attempts to strengthen the forts at Chandax, Rethymnon and Sitia, and erected walls around other important sites. From 1217 onwards Crete established itself as one of the most important possessions held by the Most Serene Republic of Venice. Under the new Venetian name Candia, Chandax remained the capital and administrative centre of the island, which was divided into six sectors administered by Venetian commanders. Settlement by Venetian colonists boosted the population and breathed new life into the city, which was radically remodelled: the walls and harbour were reinforced, and intense building activity began. Sea routes expanded and trade flourished. The Byzantine church administrative system was retained, though a Latin bishop was appointed alongside his Greek counterpart at the head of each episcopal see. The entire 13th century saw repeated uprisings against Venetian authority. Prominent among these was the one led by the Skordiles and Melissinos families in the first quarter of the century, since it had the support of Byzantine troops from John Vatazes’ Empire of Nicaea. A few years later, the recapture of Constantinople by Michael VIII Palaeologus (1261) sparked off a new wave of unrest on the island. This series of uprisings ended in 1363-1364, when Venetian feudal lords attempted to secede from Venice by declaring Crete the Republic of St. Titus. After the fall of the Byzantine capital to the Ottomans in 1453, many people flocked from Constantinople to Crete. Although this new population influx undoubtedly marked a major change, smooth coexistence with the local population and the Venetians served the island well, resulting in the Cretan Renaissance of the 16th and 17th centuries. Between 1645 and 1669 the island was the theatre of the Fifth Venetian-Turkish War. The Ottomans landed on Crete and occupied it in 1645, and three years latter laid siege to Chandax. Chania was taken in 1645 and Rethymnon in 1646. The monumental siege of Candia began in May 1648 and lasted for twenty-one years; the city was pounded by daily bombardment and attacks, but managed to hold out as it was supplied from the sea. The final phase began in 1666, when numerous reinforcements arrived in support of Fazil Ahmed Pasha Kiopruli (Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Paşa). The dire predicament of the besieged forced Venetian general Francesco Morosini to come to terms with the Ottomans and surrender the island to them.


Bibliography (3)

1. Ενημερωτικό φυλλάδιο Αρχοντικού Νικολαΐδη στην Πάτμο, 2005

2. Χατζηδάκης Μ., Εικόνες της Πάτμου, Athens, 1995

3. Αρχαιολογικά Μουσεία και Συλλογές στην Ελλάδα, Αθήνα, 2008


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