Back in 1981 I spent a week in the Macedonia area just north of Greece. I first visited the palace of King Philip of ancient Macedonia. King Philip was the father of Alexander the Great. He rivaled the City of Athens for power in the days of the great philosophers of Greece around 400-300 BCE. In Thessalonica I visited Philip’s palace and the museum containing relics of his kingdom. There were indications of Alexander himself everywhere to be seen and admired.
Alexander was, in my estimation, one of the “Great Wonders of the Ancient World.” Not only was he tutored by Aristotle, but there is little evidence that he learned much from the great thinker. Later he virtually conquered the known world south and east of Greece. The stories of his courage and wise leadership are legion. Moreover, he made many efforts to indwell the various cultures and peoples he had conquered. Amazingly, he accomplished all this while he was yet a young man and died in his 30s.
Then I found my way to the top of near bye Mount Olympus. After that I set out for the top of the famous Greek mountain. The surrounding fog lifted just about the time I arrived at the summit. The view was beyond belief. The entire country of Greece seemed to lay before me. I called out for Zeus, bur he never answered. I found out later that in Greek his name is pronounced “Zeves”, so next time I’ll get it right.
I ran most of the way down back to town, which took most of the day, and explored the city shops during the evening. The next morning I went and signed up for a four day visit to famous Mount Athos. It’s a peninsula on which there are many ancient yet active monasteries, no towns, and no women. Unlike most tourists I decided to spend all four days at one monastery so as to be able to indwell its life more fully. Most of these monasteries were founded in the late middle ages.
The monks, only one of whom spoke English, seemed delighted that I wanted to work rather than just be a “tourist”. So the first day after our silent meal I washed dishes and pots all day. The next day I watered the gardens with a long hose stuck into the nearby stream. The third and fourth days I worked with a the only English-speaking Monk making large vats of soap from animal fat.
I very much enjoyed talking with him about their life on this mountain. I asked him if they study and he said: “There is no need to study – just work and pray.” We arose every night at 12 for an hour of prayer and liturgy – the rest of the time silence ruled. I did find some time to read the book I had brought: The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware. I must say I ate and slept very well those 4 quiet days and nights.
Kazantzakis writes, in his autobiography Report to Greco, of his several week trip through Mt. Athos. He has some hilarious stories to tell about the strange monks for whom he seems to have had little respect. All in all my journey was a very pleasant and inspiring one. From Mt. Athos I returned to Athens and began my own book titled Kazantzakis’ Philosophical and Theological Thought