Founder of Monastery of St. John in Chora on Patmos, Greece - Encircle Photos

Founder of Monastery of St. John in Chora on Patmos, Greece

A third mosaic illustrates St. John the Theologian on the left and Saint Christodoulos Latrinos on the right. His given name at birth in 1020 was John. After becoming a hermit, he became Christodoulos meaning Christ’s servant. For decades, he was an abbot at several monasteries. In 1088, he asked Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus to give him the deserted island of Patmos. In exchange, he agreed to build a sacred shrine and monastery honoring where John wrote the Book of Revelation. Christodoulos and his group of monks did not finish construction before being driven off the island by Turkish pirates in 1092. After his death in 1093, the relics of Saint Christodoulos the Wonderworker were returned to the monastery. Notice two things about the imagery of Christodoulos. With one hand he is gifting the monastery to John the Theologian. In his other hand is a scroll. This is a chrysobull (golden bull or decree) issued by Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It represents the deed to Patmos. The actual 1088 document is housed in the monastery’s Treasury.

VIEW MAP

Founder of Monastery of St. John in Chora on Patmos, Greece

Monastery of St. John, Chora, Patmos 855 00, Greece

Directions

Share this Photo