The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-28
WOMAN HAS SET FOOT ON
ATHOS FOR FIFTEEN HUNDRED YEARS

Kansas City Star: A news dispatch
from across the sea the other day con-
tanned the news that the peace terms
between Turkey and the Balkan allies
will In all probability provide for the
erection of a small republic, Mount
Athos, near the gulf Of Sa1onikt.
Mount Athos is a locality little known,
but 1t Is n OF the most interesting in
the world. On the end of a peninsula
jutting into the Aegean sea, the noun
tain shoots up more than 5000 feet,
and its peak OF white limestone is a
landmark for many miles out to sea.
The old Greek legend was that the
giant Athos hurled this mountain at
the gods upon Olympus, but that 1T
dropped back and fell at the edge Of
the sea. .4". ......
The entire peninsula. of which Mount
Athos forms the southernmoSt point, Is
about forty miles long and from four
to seven miles in width, cut by numer-
GUS ravines and by long arms Of the
sea-. The narrow isthmus which con-
meets the mountain with the main
peninsula was cut by q canal built by
&erXes when he came to invade Greece,
and traces Of the canal are still visible,
though it has long since become dry
land.
The slopes OF Mount Athos have for
many centuries been the home of
monks and hermits of the Greek
church. Most of the monasteries which
cling to the steep slopes of the noun
tain were founded by Byzantine emper-
ors, one of the Oldest, the mosastery
Of st. Laura, has been in existence
since 96S. There are still several
thousand monks living upon the noun
tain, supporting themselves by filling
hillside farms and living very much as
their predecessors did 1000 years ago.
In 1,500 years no woman has been al
lowed to set foot on Athos. Few trav-
elers yer come to Athos; 1t lies out
OF the beaten track of travel, and the
| monks would not welcome intruders.
Since the fall of the Byzantine en-
pire and Constantinople, in 1453, Athos
has been nominally under Turkish
rule. The Turks, however, have been
liberal in their treatment Of the Greek
Catholic monks, and have permitted
them practically to govern themselves.
A. council composed of representatives
of. the several monasteries a main
tained law and order in the colony.
The comparatively few English and
| European travellers who have eve
been to Athos unite in enthusiastic
praise Of the natural beauties Of he
place. The steep sides of the noun
tains are heavily wooded with huge
| oak and chestnut trees. while here and
there pine and cypress give a touch OF
deeper color. The roads wind in and
out along the mountain side, frequent
Iy affording glimpses Of the deep blue
sea which frets at Athos' feet.
Through the middle ages the Athos
| ~honastries were the treasure houses
in which much of the learning and
culture of the Greeks was preserved
| to the world. The monks must nave
| spent a world of time patiently copy
ing the works of the old masters, and
the antiquarian and the booklover.
contain much that is fascinating to
the antiquarian and the booklover.
But the monks themselves ave fallen
into sad ignorance; the Libraries of
the monasteries are little used and
some of them have been permitted to
| go completely to rack.
A most interesting account of a
visit to Mount Athos is contained in
a book written in 1887 by al English
man, Robert Curzon, who went book
hunting to the mountain. Speaking of
a visit to n monkish library, he
wrote:
"The library I found to be in a dark
closet near the entrance of the church,
1t had been locked up for many years,
but the agoumenos (head of the
monastery made 40 difficulty in
breaking the old fashioned paddock by
which the door was fastened. 1 found
upon the ground and upon some
broken down shelves agout 400 to SOC
volumes, chiefly printed books, but
among them now and then l stumbled
upon a manuscript. Of these there
were about thirty on vellum n fifty
or sixty on paper. I picked up a
single loose leaf Of very ancient uncial
Greek characters, part of the Gospel
of st. Matthew. I made bold to ASK
for this single leaf as a thing OF
small value.
Certainly said the agoumenos
what do you want it for?'
my servant suggested that perhaps
1t might be useful to cover some jam
pots or vases Of preserves which
had at home" .
"fOh!' said the agoumenos, take