Rock Island Argus., 1897-08-04
HERMITS OF GREECE.
RELIGIOUS RecLUses WHO LIVED IN
HOLES IN THE CLIFFS.

they Depenaed Wholly Upon Charity For
Their sastenance apd Remained Always
In Their Aerial Caves-The Monastery
Of st. Stephens.
One of the most curious scenes on the
Thessalian frontier is to be found at
Kalibaki, some so miles by rail above
Trikhala. The town lies on a plain
which is backed by. the extraordinary
rocks of Meteora, rising precipitously
to great height and commanding the
marked attention of travellers: In places
the cliffs ascend like q wall to a height
Of 1000 feet. They are rough, free
from verdure and disfigured by innu-
merable holes and caves all over their
face
1t is these caves and remains of monk
ish dwellings in them that give the
rocks Of Meteora the strange, almost
prehistoric appearance that has made
them famous.
There are several monasteries at
Kalibaki. The largest is St. Stephens.
Unlike the other monasteries, this is
reached by a drawbridge thrown across
. yawning chasm. This is one of the
largest of the nonasteries of Meteora
and has guest chamber especially fit
ted up for visitors-that is to say, there
are three iron beds in it, and it is only
courteous to surmise that the wadded
cpverlet and single sheet that 60 to
make up Greek bed once were new.
The hegoumenos is most hospitable
He gives his visitors excellent monastic
wine, dinner of many weird courses
and is himself very good company. As
usual. there are two churches in this
monastery, the smaller of the two pos.
sessing some very fair ikons set in
beautifully carved frames, and one very
old picture, dated 3S7.
The large church consists of a nave,
antechapel, with the body of the church
under the dome, which is decorated
with the usual half length figure of
Christ. Here are seen some of the in
laM ivory and mother of pearl stools
and lecturns which at one time were the
staple wofk Of the Meteofa monks.
All the manpscrpts of any value have
been removed to Athens. "A long build
ing at he,right of the bridge contains
the cells of the monks, which open into
dark covered corridor. In time of war
these monasteries are used as places Of
refuge.
Not the least curious feature Of these
unique rocks Of Meteora are the holes
and caves which literally pepper the
face of, the cliffs in places.
In many cases these retreats of the
hermitsH'of st. Anthony are merely
cages. At a distance they look, some of
them, like big. birdcages hung up
against the face Of the cliff. AS dwell
ings they are all exceedingly primitive.
The Thessalian hermit did not ask
much of life. A rocky floor to lie on.
bars orrailings to keep hin, from fall
ing out of his hole, a shaky ladder
down which he might now and then
descend to earth and basket and string
to letsdown for supplies Were all he
needed in addition to his crucifix and
other religious necessities.
These aerial caves were occupied in
the fourteenth century. Thousands of
hermits, judging from the remains of
habitations, must at one time or another
have sought refuge in these cliffs. Few
of them can now be entered, for the
ladders have for the most part fallen
away.
Seemingly the way hermit proceed
ed was to choose a hole that took his
fancy. Up to this he ran a ladder. Then,
driving peles into the rock before the
cave. he built out q little platform.
This he rooted in and surrounded with
. wall made Of sticks or dried grass.
From one platform to another these
anchorites ran up their ladders until the
whole face of the rock was alive with
these heImits of st. Anthony.
After the time honored fashion of re-
hgious recluses, the cliff dwelling her
mits Of St. Anthony depended wholly
ON charity for their sustenance Far MP
in their airy caves they spent their days
and nights in prayer ard contemplation.
When hungry or thirsty, they let down
their baskets to the ground, and when
these were filled they pulled them up
again.
The devout people Of Kalibaki be-
lieved that these hermits were q special
charge upon them and kept them we'll
supplied with bread and water. Every
morning men, women and children
could be seen tramp ing to the. cliffs to
fill the baskets that Were let down by the
strings from above. And SO the hermits
were able to live their quiet, lazy lives
without q single worldly care.-New
vorl- World