AGION OROS ( MOUNTAIN ATHOS )

                                                     AGION OROS

Athos is situated in the peninsula of Halkidiki in the North of Greece.

Athos in Greek Mythology in is the name of one of the Gigantes ( giants ) that challenged the Greek Gods during the Gigantomahia. Athos threw a massive rock against Poseidon which fell in the Aegean Sea  and that's how  the Mount Athos was created. According to another version of the story, Poseidon used the mountain to bury the defeated giant. Athos is mentioned by Homer, Herodotus and Strabo.

According to Athonite tradition the mountain of Athos was blesed by Virgin Mary who was overwhelmed by the wonderful and wild beauty of the mountain.It is certain that monks have been there since the fourth century, and possibly since the third. During Constantine's reign both Christians and pagans were living there. During the reign of Julian the Apostate, the churches of Mount Athos were destroyed, and Christians hid in the woods and inaccessible places. 

During the Ottoman Empire the Sultan recognised the monasteries' properties.The 15th and 16th centuries led to relative prosperity for the monasteries but the Ottomans taxed them heavily. As a result, Athos had economical crisis in 17th century. 

 In 1749, with the establishment of the Athonite Academy  near Vatopedi monastery, the local monastic  community took a leading role in the Modern Greek Enlightment movement of the 18th century. This institution offered high level education.

According to the constitution of Greece,Mount Athos (the "Monastic State of Agion Oros") is, "following ancient privilege", a "a self-governed part of the Greek State, whose sovereignty thereon shall remain intact", and consists of 20 main monasteries which constitute the Holy Community, and the capital town and administrative centre, Karyes, also home to a governor as the representative of the Greek state. 

There is a prohibition on entry for women, called avaton (Άβατον) in Greek, to make living in celibacy easier for those who have chosen to do so. Monks feel that the presence of women. 

The Athonite monasteries possess huge deposits of invaluable medieval art treasures, including icons, liturgical vestments and objects. Today the 20 monasteries of Mount Athos are the dominant holy institutions for both spiritual and administrative purposes, consolidated by the Constitutional Chart of the Holy Mountain. Since the beginning of Mount Athos' history, monks were living in lodgings of different size and construction quality. All these monastic lodging types exist until today, named as seats , cells, huts , retreats, hermitages, caves, sketae.

1. Where is Agion Oros situated?

In the .................... of Greece.

a. North

b. South

c. West

d. East

2. Monks have been in Agion Oros since the .................. century.

a. 3rd or 4th

b. 8th

c. 10th

d. 15th

3. There are ......... monasteries in Agion Oros.

a. 2

b. 10

c. 20

d. 30

4. ...................... are not allowed to visit Agion Oros.

a. women

b. kings

c. politicians

d. teachers