Medieval Mount Athos between Wealth and Poverty

Book excerpt: These collected studies dedicated to the Orthodox monastic center of Mount Athos during the Middle Ages paint a compelling picture of the Holy Mountain’s monastic communities as economic actors. Mount Athos’ rich archival holdings allow both for the minute scrutiny of economic activity and the tracing of long-term trends. Not only were Hagiorite monasteries major players on a local level, but they were also embedded within trans-Mediterranean networks of patronage. The unique status of Mount Athos as a semi-autonomous monastic polity also influenced attitudes towards landholding as well as wealth and poverty more generally. Contributors are Tinatin Chronz, Zachary Chitwood, Stefan Eichert , Martina Filosa, Mihai-D. Grigore, Michel Kaplan, Vladimer Kekelia, Kirill A. Maksimovič, Zisis Melissakis, Nicholas Melvani, Vanessa R. de Obaldía, Daniel Oltean, Nina Richards, Kostis Smyrlis, Apolon Tabuashvili, and Alexander Watzinger.