- Anthim the Iberian
Infobox Saint
name=St. Anthim the Iberian
(Antim Ivireanul)
birth_date=c. 1650
death_date=1716
feast_day=27 September (NS)
venerated_in=Romanian Orthodox Church
imagesize=200
caption=
birth_place=Georgia
death_place=Adrianopol
titles=
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=1992-09-27
canonized_place=Bucharest
canonized_by=the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=Anthim the Iberian (Romanian: "Antim Ivireanul", Georgian: ანთიმოზ ივერიელი - "Antimoz Iverieli"; secular name: "Andria"; 1650 — September or October 1716) was one of the greatest ecclesiastic figures of
Wallachia (and, through modern extension,Romania ), a noted Eastern Orthodox theologian and philosopher, founder of the firstprinting press in Romania, and Metropolitan ofBucharest in 1708-1715.Biography
He was an ethnic Georgian born in
Caucasian Iberia (Kartli , nowadays in theRepublic of Georgia ). Anthim was taken prisoner byOttoman Empire troops, and took orders inIstanbul , while living on the compounds of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . In 1689 or 1690, he was asked to settle in Wallachia by PrinceConstantin Brâncoveanu , and was given charge of the newly-founded princely printing press in Bucharest. Being appointed father superior ("egumen ") of theSnagov Monastery , Anthim moved the press to the new location.He became bishop of Râmnicu in 1705, and in 1708 Metropolitan of Wallachia. Anthim spoke and wrote many Oriental and European languages. Although a foreigner, he soon acquired a thorough knowledge of Romanian, and was instrumental in helping to introduce that language into the local church as its official language. In 1693, he published the "
Gospel s" in Romanian.In 1709 Anthim was a founder of the first Georgian printing press in
Tbilisi ; he also trained Georgians in the art of printing, and cut the type with which under his pupilMihail Ishtvanovitch they printed the first of Georgian "Gospels" (1710). In addition, Anthim published 25 other books - in Romanian, as well as Church Slavonic, Greek, and Arabic (usually in bilingual volumes, such as the Greek-Arabic "Missal " of 1702); this meant that he was also the first in Wallachia to use Arabic fonts).His personal work, "Didahiile", was a collection of
sermon s meant as a sharp critique of contemporary habits and morals; notably, beside Christian sources, Anthim made reference to classical philosophy. Alongside his literary output, the cleric was the builder of the "All-Saints Monastery" in Bucharest - nowadays known as theAntim Monastery in his memory.Anthim's overt opposition to Ottoman tutelage over Wallachia made him an adversary of the
Phanariote regime. The new PrinceNicholas Mavrocordatos imprisoned him, and subsequentlyexile d him toMount Sinai . Anthim was captured by the Ottomans while he was taking the trip, and assassinated somewhere in modern-dayBulgaria (his body would have been discarded in theMaritsa or theTundzha ). It is alleged that his murder was ordered by Mavrocordatos himself.In 1992 Anthim was canonized by the
Romanian Orthodox Church . Arugby union trophy, contested by Romania and Georgia is named after him - the "Antim Cup ".References
* "In turn, it cites as references:"
** M. Gaster, "Chrestomathie roumaine" (1881) and "Gesch. d. rumänischen Litteratur," in Grober, "Grundriss d. rom. Philologie", vol. ii. (1899)
**E. Picot , "Notice sur Anthim d'Ivir" (Paris, 1886).
*"Anthimus of Iberia", in "Encyclopædia Britannica", 2007 edition. RetrievedMay 23 ,2007 , from [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9007772 Encyclopædia Britannica Online]
* "Antimoz Iverieli", in "Sakartvelo Encyclopedia", Vol. I, Tbilisi, 1997, p.158
*Otar Gvinchidze , "Antimoz Iverieli", Tbilisi, 1973External links
*ro icon [http://ortodoxia.topcities.com/Didahii.html "Didahii" (online transcript)]
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