Pre-Christian Mount Athos:
Goddess Artemis-Diana and her Afterlife Among the Monks

Marco Merlini

Abstract

Mount Athos (The Holy Mount, Agion Oros) is the oldest, the remotest, the most famous and also the last monastic state in the contemporary world. It belongs to the Christian-Orthodox faith. The monastic republic occupies the eastern portion of the three-fingered Chalkidiki Peninsula (in Macedonia, east and south of Thessaloniki, Northern Greece), which stretches into the North Aegean Sea.

In his article, Marco Merlini offers an in-depth investigation of the ancient legacy of the pre-Christian worship of the Goddess Artemis-Diana and her replacement by the Virgin Mary who functions as the sacred Abbess of the Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos. Merlini describes the deep history and cultural legacy of the monasteries and churches of the holy precinct, and explores the artistic symbolism encoded in the frescoes which includes a unique view of the role of spinning and weaving as metaphors of women’s ancient powers, both sacred and demonic. This work assesses the survival and transformation of Old European “pagan” elements on Mount Athos and their influences that linger to this day.