Monks in the Byzantine Empire
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With the turn of the 3rd Century and the rise of Christianity a new social class was born within the Byzantine Empire. That social class was monks, albeit it would not be as common until a century later. Monks begin to pop up in Egypt during the 3rd Century and by the 4th Century, they have legitimate institutions with a hierarchy and order of sorts; which differed according to the institution. There were two main models on how monks should live and operate. These two models were called Eremos and Koinobios. The two models have fundamental differences between them, the major being in which manner the monks would live. The first model, Eremos, called for monks (men and women) to live in total recluse. This model was popularized by St. Anthony of Egypt ca. 250-355. Eremos in Greek is translated to mean "desert," which is where these monks would go off to live. Totally isolating themselves from the population to focus solely on their spiritualism without the temptations of societal vices while constantly practicing the ancient art of Hesychasm. They took vows of abstinence, would periodically fast, and engage in light work. All helping them ward off unwanted passions and external influences. Their isolation was not total however, between Cairo and Alexandria many small communities of these isolated monks begin to pop up. Offering minimal weekly services and interactions between the monks. These small communities were directed by spiritual "fathers" and "mothers." There were no real set rules and guidelines for this way of life, rather focusing on the individual than a collective. The second model, Koinobios, is Greek for "living in a community" and is derived from the words koinos bios, "meaning common life." This model calls for monks to live a communal life together in a monastery. This model arose ca. 320 with the creation of the first monastery by a man named Pachomius 292-346, a former Roman soldier, and would become the official practice for monks with legislation written by Justinian I. He [Pachomius] built the monastery in an Egyptian city called Tabbenissi. Within it, housed 30-40 monks who were led by an abbot to whom obedience was emphasized. There they would pray, eat, and live together assisting one another in their spiritual journey. They also participated in group work dividing up responsibilities and living communally and acceptance to monasteries was regulated as well. This way of life for monks caught on and spread throughout the Empire by way of mass pilgrimages and migration to and from Egypt. The procedures and guidelines for monastic monks are accredited to the aforementioned Pachomius and Basil the Great, becoming the standard for today. While Greek-Orthodox monks today are known to live in monasteries, their way of life is a blend of cenobitic and anchorite practices that have evolved over hundreds of years.
References[edit]
Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley, Jan Milie Lochman, John Mbiti, Jaroslav Pelikan, David B. Barrett, Lukas Vische, "Monasticism," The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3. (Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing, October 10, 2003) 628 pgs. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "idiorrhythmic monasticism". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 1998, https://www.britannica.com/topic/idiorrhythmic-monasticism. Accessed 11 January 2022. Benz, Ernest. The Eastern Orthodox Church: It's Thoughts and Life. Rutledge Publishing, July 30, 2008.
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