The Yale expositor., 1915-04-08

mead OF mount Amos rises
WW into the serene turquoise
Wv sky and looks down its
slopes, solemnly verdured by
dark forests and gardened by olive,
myrtle and rose, is the most remark
able republic in all the world, into
whose arcadian confines came again
the call of War-the worlds greatest
OF wars.
This dominion, at all times on
military footing to repel its one great,
human enemy, has passed through
many wars with pirate invaders, not
to mention the invasion of curiosity Of
the Byzantine empress, who insisted
upon visiting the place to the mortifi-
cation and scandal of the good men
so there is small wonder that Father
Bulatovitch, once a grim soldier, vol
unteered to go forth and fight for the
car.
Mount Athos is on the peninsula of
Saloniki, which territory Greece wrest-
ed from the Turks in the last war,
says the Louisville Courier-Journal
There are twenty monasteries in the
republic, eleven villages and 250 her.
mitages. The population is composed
of more than three thousand monks
and as many lay brothers, who are
classed as workings" There is an
army of fifty Albanian guards sta
toned at the capital, Karyas, to see
that no woman enters. And so rigid
is the bar against the weaker sex that
not even the female of any animal
may be admitted.
Is Romantic Garden Spot.
Think of this garden spot, where,
despite the iron impress of celibacy,
there are romance and poetry in the
very air! There is mystery, too, for,
looking from the sea, the cloak of the
dense forest that lies over the titanic
shoulders OF the holy mount is full of
blue and black shadow and silence;
then, grimly medieval, clinging to the
side of the elevation, even in the
bright sunlight losing none of its i'm
pressive character is the mysterious
monastery" Of Simon Peter.
Mount Athos might have still
drowsed in the serenity of it's recent
dream picture days had not Father
Bulatovitch, who at one time held a
commission in the army of the great
white car, been stirred by the mar
tial spirit and declared his willingness
to go to war. He had been an officer
of the guards and as abbot of a mon
astery brought something of the mill
tary discipline there.
He made II clear he did not intend
giving up his religious orders, but, in
imitation of the crusading monks at
the time of the Tartar invasion in the
would head his troops with his uni
form covered by his priestly vest
ments. He may be fighting now, or
he may have been mustered in at
last for the long twilight march.
But even the monks who have been
trained in the paths of peace are not
unfamiliar with war. They have Il as
an inspiring tradition, for all OF these
monasteries in the beginning were
armed forts to repel the invasion Of
pirates. The Russian monastery, four
hours by muleback from the capital,
is the best example OF this defensive
style.
Mount Athos Place Of Thrills.
"As you approach" tells a recent
visitor, you are impressed and be-
wildered by that strange fortress sane
tuary, with it's bristling array of bas-
tons, towers, turrets, redans and para
pets, all stained, riddled and crenel-
lated by the action of time and tenn
pest. AS far as the eye can see there
is no opening anywhere along the
whole expanse of walls. Wooden gal
leries project beneath the roof, but
they are of comparatively recent con-
struction, having been added since the
pirates ceased to harry the holy noun
tain. They are painted defiant
blood red. The whole mass of masonry
clings acrobatic-like to rock, which
is covered with luxuriant verdure."
In this curious republic there are
Russian monks and Greek monks and
Servian monks and Bulgarian monks.
Though peaceful In general effect,
Mount Athos has been a place OF
thrills. Not long ago the Bulgarians
made an effort to seize the Servian
monastery Hilendar and annex 1t for
their own monks. The matter caused
intense indignation in Belgrade, and
was adjusted with some difficulty by
the governing council Of monks at
Karyas.