MOUNT ATHOS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1789, 30 June 1913, Page 7

MOUNT ATHOS.

A HERETIC HUNT.

LAND WITHOUT WOMEN.

Br SflUerash—Pr«« Association—Ooorriifcl Sakonika, Juno 27. A force of Russian, Greek, and Bulgarian troops lias landed nt Mount Atlios, the monastic republic north-east of the Aegean Sea where heretical monks occupy a Russian monastery and defy the authority of tho Church. NO FEMALES ADMITTED. The meeting of Ambassadors in London in January decidcd that Alount Athos is to lie regarded in the future, as iu the past, as an independent ecclesiastical republic. The monks, of whom there are, or wert a few years ago, about 7500, aro verj kind and hospitable to strangers, but art strict in maintaining their ancient rult that femimno influence must bo eicludcc at all costs, As a result the entiro popu lation, both human and animal, is masculine, nor is tho rule relaxed in favoui of poultry. In consequence of this all eggs, of which a great number aro coil Bumed, have to be imported. It isstatec that Lady Stratford do Itcdcliffe is tli< only woman iu whose favour an exception has been mado for the last 500 years Daphne is the only calling )jla«) foi steamers, and tho service is mconveni' cnt and irregular. • The scenery of the Holy Mountain, witl its numerous wooded coves and dales, ii very beautiful, and at a distance th< luonastries are most picturesque. Close] inspection, however, reveals that many o: them have been considerably modernise! structurally, or even rebuilt owing t< recent fires, while in a great number o! cfiacu tho frescoes, whicli in the day 6 o] Curzon were of great archacological in terest, liave been recently repainted ii vivid wilours with an execution of n< great merit. At present the Thcocratic Republic o tho Holy Mountain (Mount Atlios) ifi ad 1 ministered by a Council elected by tin several mon&striog. The Greeks thui have a large permanent majority on tin Council, as they possess 17 inonastries although the number of monks at Host kon, the Russian monastery with it's nu morous sketes or .dependencies, is con niderably greater than tkat v of alt tin monks iu the Greek monasteries put to gefher. There aro also three other mon astrics, respectively Servian, Bulgarian and Rumanian. The common seaf o the Council is kept fey~Wo four senio; members and is divided into quarters fo the purpose. Tho monastries are of tw classes, those inhabited by coenobites «n< those conducted on tho idiorrhvjhmii principle. The former ore rule's V Hegoumenoi or Abbots, elected for life the latter each by a committee of two o three monks (Epitropoi) appointed an nually or biennially.