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E04957: The Life of *Nikolaos of Sion (abbot and bishop in Lycia, ob. 564, S00559) mentions fifteen shrines of various saints at villages in the territory of Myra in Lycia (south-west Asia Minor), and the celebration of public feasts with sacrifices of oxen at them, organised by Nikolaos, abbot of the monastery of Holy Sion. Written in Greek in the late 6th c., probably at the monastery of Holy Sion in Lycia.

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posted on 2018-02-07, 00:00 authored by erizos
Life of Nikolaos, Abbot of Holy Sion and Bishop of Pinara (BHG 1347), 54-58.

54. Ὅτε οὖν ηὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς δοξάσαι τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ Νικόλαον, ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸ εὐκτήριον τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου εὐφήμου ἐν Τραγαλασσῷ, καὶ ἔθυσεν ζυγὴν βοϊδίων, καὶ συγκαλεῖται πάντα τὸν λαόν. καὶ ἐγένετο εὐωχία καὶ χαρὰ μεγάλη. καὶ εὐφρανθέντες ἔδωκαν δόξαν τῷ θεῷ δοξάζοντι τοὺς δοξάζοντας αὐτόν. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπορεύθη ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου καὶ τῶν ὁσίων πατέρων Σαββατίου καὶ Νικολάου καὶ Λέοντος, τῶν γεναμένων ἁρχιμανδριτῶν ἐν τῷ Ἀκαλισσῷ. καὶ ἔθυσεν βοΐδια πέντε καὶ συγκαλεῖ πάντα τὸν λαόν, καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν, καὶ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ Νικολάου. ἔτι δὲ τῇ χάριτι καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος παρρησίᾳ φερόμενος εἰς πάσας τὰς παρακειμένας ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας θυσίας ἐπέδωκεν εὐχαριστῶν τῷ θεῷ βοΐδια δέκα ἕξ, πληρώσας τὴν προφητικὴν φωνὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Δαβίδ, τὴν λέγουσαν «ἀποδώσω σοι τὰς εὐχάς μου, ἃς διέστειλεν τὰ χείλη μου καὶ ἐλάλησεν τὸ στόμα μου ἐν τῇ θλίψει μου.»

55. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐπορεύθη ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ Νικόλαος εἰς τὸ εὐκτήριον τοῦ ἁγίου Γεωργίου ἐν τῷ Πληνίῳ. καὶ ἦλθον μετὰ λιτανείας καὶ τῶν τιμίων σταυρῶν καὶ ἀπήντησαν τῷ δούλῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πληνίου κληρικοὶ ἅμα τῷ φιλοχρίστῳ αὐτῶν λαῷ εἰς τὸν ἅγιον εὕφημον. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἠκολούθησεν αὐτοῖς μετὰ ἑπτὰ βοϊδίων. καὶ ἀπελθόντες ἐν τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Γεωργίου ἔθυσεν ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ τοὺς ἑπτὰ βόας. καὶ συνήχθησαν ὄχλοι, ὥστε γενέσθαι στιβάδια διακόσια. ἐβάστασεν δὲ ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἀναλωμάτων οἴνου μέτρα ἐκατὸν καὶ ἄρτους μοδίων τεσσαράκοντα. καὶ ἔφαγον πάντες καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν, καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν τὸν δόντα χάριν τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Νικολάῳ. καὶ περιέσσευσεν οἴνου μέτρα ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἄρτοι ἑκατὸν καὶ ἐλαίου μέτρα τέσσαρα. καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἐμπλησθῆναι πάντες ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ.

56. Μετὰ δὲ χρόνους δύο πνεῦμα ἅγιον φαίνεται τῷ δούλῳ τοῦ θεοῦ Νικολάῳ ἐπὶ τὸ παραγενέσθαι εἰς τοὺς παρακειμένους εὐκτηρίους ἁγίους οἴκους καὶ ποιῆσαι καθ’ ἕκαστον ἁγίασμα θυσίας ἀπὸ ζυγῆς βοϊδίων καὶ δοξάσαι τὸν θεόν. τῇ οὖν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, έν ᾖ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐφάνη αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν θυσιῶν, λέγει τῷ ἀδελφῷ καὶ δευτεραρίῳ αὐτοῦ Ἀρτεμᾷ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς πᾶσιν ὅτι· «Σήμερον βουλήσει τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξελθεῖν θέλω ἕως τοῦ εὐκτηρίου τοῦ ἁγίου Γαβριὴλ εἰς Καρκάβω, ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ.» ἐβάστασεν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ μοναστηρίου νομίσματα *** καὶ οἴνου μέτρα ἐβδομήκοντα καὶ σίτου μόδια τριάκοντα. καὶ ἀπελθὼν εἰς τὸν προλεχθέντα ἔνδοξον οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου Γαβριὴλ τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου, καὶ ἔθυσεν τρία βοΐδια καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸν ἐκεῖ ὄντα λαὸν πάντα. καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν σφόδρα καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν πάντες καὶ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ Νικόλαον. καὶ περιέσσευσεν ἐξ αὐτῶν εὐλογία πολλή, ὥστε ἀπὸ Καρκάβω ἀγαλλιώμενον τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ Νικόλαον ἀπελθεῖν ἐν τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Θεοδώρου εἰς Καύσας. κἀκεῖ ἔθυσεν ζυγὴν βοϊδίων, καὶ συγκαλεσάμενος πάντα τὸν ἐκεῖσε λαόν. καὶ ἐμπλησθέντες ἐδόξασαν κύριον τὸν θεόν. καὶ ἐκ τῆς περισσείας τοῦ ἁγίου Θεοδώρου τῶν εύλογιῶν ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν παρεγένετο εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου ἀρχαγγέλου εἰς Νέαν Κώμην. κἀκεῖ ἔθυσεν βοϊδίων ζυγὴν μίαν, καὶ συνεκάλεσεν πάντα τὸν ἐκεῖσε λαὸν ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου. καὶ ἐμπλησθέντες ἅπαντες ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεόν, καὶ ἐπεριέσσευεν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δωρεά.

57. Καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ Νικόλαος τὴν περισσείαν ούκ ὀλίγην οὖσαν, ἐννοήσας ὅτι τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τὸ ὀφθὲν αύτῷ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν, ἀπὸ Νέας Κώμης ἀπῆλθεν είς τὸ εὐκτήριον τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀπφιανοῦ ἐν Παρταησσῷ κἀκεῖ ἔθυσεν βοϊδίων ζυγὴν μίαν, καὶ συγκαλεῖται πάντα τὸν λαόν καὶ ἔφαγον καί ἐνεπλήσθησαν καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεόν. καὶ περιέσσευσεν εὐλογία μεγάλη, ὥστε τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖον δοξάζειν τὸν θεον. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν κατῆλθεν εἰς τὸ εὐκτήριον τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Δημητρίου ἐν τῷ Συμβόλῳ. καὶ ἔθυσεν βοΐδια δύο καὶ συγκαλεῖται πάντα τὸν λαόν, καὶ εὐφρανθέντες ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν διὰ τὴν πίστιν τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ Νικολάου. καὶ πληθυνθέντων τῶν ἀναλωμάτων, εὐχαριστῶν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸ εύκτήριον τῆς Θεοτόκου εἰς τὸ Ναυτήν. καὶ ἔθυσεν κἀκεῖ ζυγὴν βοϊδίων, καὶ συνεκάλεσεν πάντα τὸν ἐκεῖσε ὄντα λαόν, καὶ εὐφρανθέντες ἔδωκαν αἶνον τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸ εὐκτήριον τῆς ἁγίας Εἰρήνης εἰς Σερινῆ. κἀκεῖ ἔθυσεν ζυγὴν βοϊδίων, καὶ συγκαλεῖται τὸν λαόν, καὶ εὐφρανθέντες ἔδωκαν αἶνον τῷ θεῷ. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου εἰς Τρεβένδας, κἀκεῖ ἔθυσεν βοϊδίων ζυγὴν μίαν, καὶ ἐποίησεν δοχὴν μεγάλην, δοξάζων τὸν θεόν. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸ Κάστελλον εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου Νικολάου, κἀκεῖ ἔθυσεν βοΐδια δύο, καὶ εὐφράνθη πᾶς ὁ φιλόχριστος λαός, καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ ὁσίου ἀνδρός. καὶ ἀπ’ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον τῆς Μελίσσης ἐν Ἡμαλίσσοις. κάκεῖ ἔθυσεν βοΐδια δύο, καὶ συγκαλεῖται πάντα τὸν λαόν, καὶ ευφρανθέντες ἔδωκαν δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ καί τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Νικολάῳ, καὶ τότε, πληρώσας τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἀγαλλιώμενος ἅμα τοῖς συνοῦσιν αὐτῷ ἀδελφοῖς διὰ εἴκοσι πεντε ἡμερῶν ἦλθεν εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον αὐτοῦ εἰς τήν ἁγίαν Σιών.

58. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἦν παλαιωθέντα τὸ ἁγίασμα τοῦ ἁγίου Δανιὴλ ἐν τῷ Σαβάνδῳ καὶ συμπίπτοντα. καὶ ἀπερχομένου τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ ὁσίου ἀνδρὸς Νικολάου ἀπὸ τοῦ μοναστηρίου κατὰ τὴν λαμπρὰν Μυρέων μητρόπολιν, ἔκαμψεν ἐν τῷ Καστέλλῳ ἐπὶ τὸ εὔξασθαι καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἐν τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Δανιὴλ τοῦ προφήτου καί ἰδών, ὅτι πτῶσιν ὑπομένει ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Θεοῦ οἶκος, μετεκαλέσατο ἕνα τῶν κληρικῶν, ὀνόματι Νικόλαον, ἀπὸ τοῦ χωρίου Δαμασεῖ, ἅμα τῷ τότε τεχνίτῃ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς, ὀνόματι Θεοτίμῳ, συνταξάμενος καὶ δώσας αὐτοῖς εὐλογίαν, αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἔδωκεν Νικολάῳ τῷ διακόνῳ ὑπὲρ τελειώσεως τοῦ ἔργου νομίσματα ὀγδοήκοντα ἥμισυ, προστάξας τὰ ἀναλώματα ῥογεύεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐαγοῦς αὐτοῦ μοναστηρίου. καί ἐτελειώθη ὁ ἅγιος οἶκος, καί πάντες εὐχαρίστησαν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ Νικολάου.


‘54. Thus when God pleased to glorify his servant, Nikolaos, he went to the oratory of the Well-famed Archangel in Tragalassos, sacrificed/slaughtered (ἔθυσεν) a pair of oxen, and invited all the people. A great feast and merriment took place. Having pleased themselves, they gave glory to God who glorifies those who glorify Him. From there, he went to the monastery of Saint John and the holy fathers Sabbatios, Nikolaos, and Leon, once archimandrites [abbots] in Akalissos. And he sacrificed five oxen and invited all the people, and they ate and were filled, and God was glorified through His servant Nikolaos. Also driven by the grace and the freedom of the Holy Spirit to all the neighbouring holy churches, he offered sacrifices of sixteen oxen, giving thanks to God and fulfilling the prophetic voice of the holy David that says I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. (Ps. 66 [65]:13-14)

55. In those days, the servant of God Nikolaos went to the oratory of Saint George at Plenios. And there came, in procession with the precious crosses, the clerics from Plenios together with their Christ-loving people, and met the servant of God at the holy Well-famed One [the Archangel]. From there, he followed them with seven oxen. They went to the oratory of Saint George and the servant of God sacrificed the seven oxen. Crowds came together, so that two hundred dining companies (stibadia) were set up. The servant of God brought one hundred measures of wine and forty modii of bread as provisions. Everyone ate and was filled and they glorified God who gave grace to his servant Nikolaos. Sixty measures of wine, one hundred loaves of bread, and four measures of oil went spare. When everyone was filled, they glorified God with His servant.

56. Two years later, a holy spirit [or the Holy Spirit] appeared to the servant of God Nikolaos, inducing him to visit the neighbouring holy houses of prayer and perform sacrifices of pairs of oxen at each one of the shrines, and give glory to God. On that day then, when the holy spirit appeared to him with regard to the sacrifices, he told his brother and assistant (deuterarios) Artemas and all the brethren: “Today, by the will of God, I wish to go to oratory of Saint Gabriel at Karkabo, in order to fulfil the will of God.” He took from the monastery […] pieces of gold, seventy measures of wine, and thirty modii of wheat. He went to the said glorious house of the holy archangel Gabriel and sacrificed three oxen, and invited all the people living there. They ate and were plentifully filled, and everyone glorified God and his servant Nikolaos. Plenty of their bounty went spare, so that the servant of God Nikolaos overjoyed went from Karkabo to the oratory of Saint Theodoros at Kausai. There also he sacrificed a pair of oxen, and invited all the people living there. And when they were filled, they glorified the Lord God. With the leftovers of Saint Theodoros’ bounty, he came from there to the oratory of the holy Archangel at Nea Kome. There as well, he sacrificed a pair of oxen, and invited all the people living there, from the youngest to the oldest. And when all of them were filled, they glorified God and God’s largesse went spare.

57. As the servant of God Nikolaos saw that the surplus was not small, and realising that the holy spirit that had appeared to him was with him, he went from Nea Kome to the oratory of Saint Apphianos at Partaessos, and there he also sacrificed a pair of oxen, and invited all the people. And they ate and were filled, and glorified God. And a great bounty went spare, so that the servant of God glorified God even more. From there, he went down to the oratory of the Archangel and Saint Demetrios at Symbolon. He sacrificed two oxen and invited all the people. Having pleased themselves, they glorified God for the faith of his servant Nikolaos. And as the goods were multiplied, giving thanks to the Holy Spirit, he went from there to the oratory of the Mother of God at Nauten. There as well, he sacrificed a pair of oxen, and invited all the people living there, and they made merry and gave pra

History

Evidence ID

E04957

Saint Name

Michael, the Archangel : S00181 Gabriel, the Archangel : S00192 John the Baptist : S00020 George, soldier and martyr of Diospolis/Lydda : S00259 Nicholas, bishop of Myra, southern Asia Minor, ob. 343 : S00520 Sabbatios, Nikolaos, Leon, abbots of

Saint Name in Source

Μιχαήλ, ἀρχάγγελος, εὔφημος Γαβριήλ Ἰωάννης Γεώργιος Νικόλαος Σαββάτιος, Νικόλαος, Λέων Θεόδωρος Μαρία, Θεοτόκος Ἀπφιανός Δανιήλ Νικόλαος

Type of Evidence

Literary - Hagiographical - Lives

Language

  • Greek

Evidence not before

564

Evidence not after

600

Activity not before

542

Activity not after

545

Place of Evidence - Region

Asia Minor Asia Minor

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Myra Monastery of Holy Sion

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Myra Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia Monastery of Holy Sion Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia

Cult activities - Liturgical Activity

  • Sacrifice/libation

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Activities Accompanying Cult

  • Feasting (eating, drinking, dancing, singing, bathing)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Visiting graves and shrines

Cult Activities - Miracles

Material support (supply of food, water, drink, money) Apparition, vision, dream, revelation

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - abbots Peasants

Source

The text is preserved in four manuscripts, on which see: http://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/oeuvre/17349/ The editions of the text are based on the Codices Vaticanus Graecus 821 and Sinaiticus Graecus 525.

Discussion

For the context of this passage, see E04953. The Life of Nikolaos refers to two important chapters in the life of its hero, which appear to have left shadows on his memory. The first is the plague of the 540s, and Nikolaos’ conflict with the authorities of Myra (47-58). It appears that the upland villages of the Alacadağ were less accessible to the plague than the city with its busy port and marshy surroundings. While Myra was scourged by the disease, the peasants kept away from the city, and soon the pandemic was compounded by food shortages. The bishop and governor of Myra held the Abbot of Holy Sion responsible, suggesting that the monastery had influence over the villages. The end of the plague is followed by Nikolaos’ tour of the villages, organising feasts and paying for the repair of a church. The carefully recorded bill of the tour amounted to 49 oxen, 170 measures of wine, 70 modii of bread/wheat, and an indefinite amount of gold. 80.5 nomismata were provided for the rebuilding of the church of Sabandos. The tour starts with feasts at the shrine of Tragalassos, the main settlement in the area of Holy Sion, and at the monastery of Akalissos, which was the mother house of Holy Sion, according to the opening paragraphs of the Life of Nikolaos (1-13). The shrine of Akalissos was dedicated to John the Baptist (6), but apparently it was also known by the names of its holy abbots, Sabbatios, Nikolaos, and Leon, the first two of whom were involved in the foundation of Holy Sion. The rest of the villages have been tentatively identified with sites on the Alacadağ (Foss 1991; Hellenkemper and Hild 2004; Takmer and Alkan 2013; Ruggieri 2013). The reasons for Nikolaos’ visits to these places are not explained. It is probable that Holy Sion had lands at these villages and that the tour is delineating the monastery’s area of influence and interests. If this was the case, the monastic house must have been a dominant landowner in the uplands between the civic and ecclesiastical territories of Myra and Arneai. The eagerness of the text to provide concrete evidence for Nikolaos’ largess towards the villages and Pinara may suggest that this was an issue in the reputation of the saint and the monastery. It is possible that Holy Sion and its abbot were not remembered for their solidarity towards their region during the plague. By recording the expenses Holy Sion had undergone for the sake of the villages our text very probably aims to rectify some of these memories. The meticulous recording of the saint’s expenses for his acts of generosity suggests that Holy Sion kept archives, to which the author will have had access. The actual character of the feasts organised by Nikolaos has attracted scholarly attention. The text talks about sacrifices, using the verb θύω (thyo), which can mean both a ritual sacrifice and slaughtering. The slaughtering of animals and festal consumption of their meat is known to have been a part of celebrations of martyrs in this period, and has been associated with a special rite of sacrifice included in Byzantine prayer books (euchologia). The reality may have been between a traditional religious sacrifice and a common public feast. Our account seems to imply that during these feasts a kind of miracle took place, causing the multiplication of the food provisions which always went spare, despite the crowds attending the meals. The word εὐλογία (eulogia) used by the text most probably has the sense of ‘bounty’. Almost all the shrines are described as oratories/prayer houses (εὐκτήριον/εὐκτήριος οἶκος), except for the shrine of Akalissos which is defined as a monastery (μοναστήριον), although in paragraph 6 it is defined as a martyrion, and the shrine of Daniel at Sabandos, which is called ἁγίασμα, εὐκτήριος οἶκος, and ἅγιος οἶκος. With regard to the dedications, it is remarkable how popular the Archangel Michael was, who was also known by the epithet euphemos (the well-famed one). A number of names, like Georgios, Theodoros, and Demetrios, may or may not refer to the famous martyrs of these names.

Bibliography

Text and translations: Anrich, G., Hagios Nikolaos, der heilige Nikolaos in der griechischen Kirche, texte und Untersuchungen (Leipzig, Berlin, vol. 1: 1913; vol. 2: 1917). Blum, H., Vita Nicolai Sionitae (Bonn, 1997). Ruggieri, V., La Vita di San Nicola di Sion. Traduzione, note e commentario (Roma: Pontificio Istituto Orientale, 2013). Italian transaltion with commentary. Ševčenko, I., and Patterson-Ševčenko, N., The Life of St. Nicholas of Sion (Brookline, Mass.: Hellenic College Press, 1984), with English translation. Further reading: Foss, C., "Cities and villages in Lycia in the Life of Saint Nicholas of Holy Sion," Greek Orthodox Theological Review 36 (1991), 303-339. Hellenkemper, H., and Hild, F., Lykien und Pamphylien (Tabula Imperii Byzantini 8) (Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2004). Takmer, B., and Alkan, M., "Parerga to the Stadiasmus Patarensis (13): The road system in the mountainous area of Alacadağ in central Lycia and the roads indicated in the Vita of Nicholas of Sion," Gephyra 10 (2013), 106-120.

Continued Description

ise to God. From there he went to the oratory of Saint Eirene at Serine. There as well, he sacrificed a pair of oxen, and invited the people and, rejoicing, they gave praise to God. From there, he went to the prayer house of the Archangel at Trebendai and there he also sacrificed a pair of oxen, and held a great reception, glorifying God. And from there he went to Kastellon at the prayer house of Saint Nikolaos. There he also sacrificed two oxen, and all the Christ-loving people made merry, and they glorified God through the holy man. From there, he went to the oratory of Melissa [perhaps the name of a founder, rather than of a saint] at Hemalissa. There he also sacrificed two oxen, and invited all the people. Having made merry, they gave glory to God and his servant Nikolaos. And then, having fulfilled the command of the Holy Spirit, rejoicing together with the brethren that were with him, he returned to his monastery, at the Holy Sion, after twenty-five days.58. Those days, the sanctuary of Saint Daniel at Sabandos had become old and was derelict. As the blessed and holy man was journeying from the monastery to the splendid metropolis of Myra, he turned off at Kastellon, in order to pray. When he entered the oratory of Saint Daniel the Prophet, he saw that the holy house of God was about to collapse and called one of the clerics called Nikolaos, from the village of Damasei, together with the master builder of the time, called Theotimos, and gave them instructions and his blessing. At that very time, he gave eighty and a half nomismata to the deacon Nikolaos for the completion of the work, and ordered that provisions be supplied from his charitable monastery. And the holy house was completed and everyone gave thanks to God through his servant Nikolaos.'Text: Ruggieri 2013.Translation: E. Rizos.

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