BALKAN SAINTS - Mirjana Detelić

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persisting for centuries, but especially in the late Byzantine era (Théoharidès 2001, 142-
145). Researchers have already pointed at an „aristocratic‟ component of Palestine
monasticism, very different from that of Egyptian or of Syria, which were rural not only
in character, but in their protagonists‟ origins (Patlagean 1968, 110; Flusin 1983, 90-91).
Moreover, Sava was a partisan of moderate ascetism (Bogdanovic, Foreword to
Sava 1986, 15, and Sveti Jovan Lestvicnik, 175-80). This influenced the choice of
hagiographic topoi in describing his achievements, and the very weak, almost neglegible
demonic component (D. Popović 2000, 145). The influence of the typicon of Kareya was
far-reaching, becoming a generally accepted model of ascetic monasticism. In at least two
cases the initiative may well have come from Sava himself. Thus in the vicinity of
Studenica monastery, a Nemanjic foundation, there are quite a few hesychastiria, and
among them a particularly important one called Upper Hermitage, built on the steep cliff
which tradition connects to St Sava (Temerinski 1986, 257-60; Stanić 1988, 256-58). Not
far from the Nemanjic monastery of Mileseva, in a rocky canyon, the remains of some
monumental buildings, all with the same use, were recently discovered (D. Popović
2002b, 108). In later times, hermitages were frequently built in the vicinity of the royal
and seignurial foundations, and also near important churches, like the cathedral of Pec
(Popovic&Popovic 1999, 129-130; S. Popović 2001).
Most of Sava‟s successors spent some time at Athos, and many travelled to the
Holy Land (Slijepcevic 1991, 132-87, with sources and bibliography). Particularly
distinguished was archbishop Danilo II (1324-37), whose stay at Athos is described in the
topoi of ascetics, with the epithet „second Euthimios the Desert dweller‟ (Danijel 1989,
87, 100-104). Patriarch Ephraim (1375-1379; 1389-90) spent long periods in the „desert‟
– more precisely in cave hermitages in the canyon of the Decanska Bistrica river, at
Zdrelo near Pec, and at the Archangel monastery at Prizren (Pecki 1986; on the
hermitages mentioned, see Ivanovic 1987, 395-396, 499-500, 509-510).
Sava‟s ascetic ideals strongly influenced Serbian royal ideology by encouraging
the concept of the ruler-monk (Marjanovic-Dusanic 1997, 274-286). Serbian dynasts,
though, did not fulfill the eremitic model in practice – with exception of King Stefan
Dragutin (1276-82) whose exploits, it seems, belong to hagiography rather than historical
reality (Drugi 1988, 45-77; D. Popovic 1999-2000). Rather they realised the ideal of the
desert by patronising hermits and literary and artistic works of high spiritual value.
All in all, the image of Sava as „hermit‟ and „desert citizen‟ was mostly the work
of Domentijan and, especially, Teodosije, while the eremitism associated with him was a
learned and inspired creation of the Serbian monastic elite which by the end of the
thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth century was very active in the environment
of Mount Athos.
Sources
Доментијан, Живот светога Саве и живот светога Симеона, ed. R. Marinković,
(Belgrade, 1988).