Venerable (Monastic)14th century

Agapius of Vatopedi

14th century

Also known as Agapius

A monastic novice of the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos who was captured by raiders and carried into slavery, and is remembered as an exemplar of monastic obedience.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Agapius of Vatopedi

Life

Agapius of Vatopedi was a fourteenth-century monastic novice on Mount Athos, remembered in Orthodox tradition as a model of monastic obedience. He lived under the direction of an elder devoted to silence at the Holy Trinity kellia at Kolitsa (also rendered Kalitsa), within the boundaries of the Vatopedi monastery.

According to his life, Agapius was seized by Turkish raiders who landed on the Athonite shore and was carried into slavery at Magnesia, where he labored in chains for twelve years. After his miraculous release he returned to his elder, who sent him back into servitude to strengthen his humility; his voluntary return so moved his master that the master and his two sons came to Mount Athos, were baptized, and became monks. He is commemorated on March 1.

Troparion1 hymnReadHide

TroparionTone 8

By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
O our holy father Agapius, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline5 momentsReadHide

14th centuryNovice on Mount AthosAgapius lived as a novice in obedience to an elder of silence at the Holy Trinity kellia at Kolitsa, within the boundaries of the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.
14th centuryCapture and enslavementTurkish raiders who landed on the Athonite shore captured Agapius and took him to Magnesia, where he worked in chains for twelve years while remaining steadfast in faith.
14th centuryRelease and return to the elderBy tradition, the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and told him to go to his elder without fear; on waking he found his bonds gone and the doors open, and he made his way back to Mount Athos.
14th centuryVoluntary return to servitudeHis elder instructed him to return to his master to strengthen his humility and trust in God's providence, telling him that though he had deceived the Hagarene, no one can deceive God. Agapius obeyed and returned voluntarily.
14th centuryConversion of the masterMoved by Agapius's virtue, the master freed him and traveled to Mount Athos with his two sons; all three were baptized, became monks, and lived in asceticism for the rest of their lives.

Contributions & Legacy

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Life and Captivity

The synaxarion relates that Agapius served as a novice in strict obedience to an elder who lived in silence at the Holy Trinity kellia at Kolitsa, a dependency within the boundaries of the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos. When Turkish invaders landed on the Athonite shore, they captured him and transported him to Magnesia, where he was held in chains and made to labor for twelve years. Throughout his captivity he is said to have remained steadfast in faith, praying earnestly to the Mother of God.

By tradition, the Mother of God appeared to Agapius in his sleep and instructed him to return to his elder without fear. When he awoke he found that his bonds had fallen away and the doors stood open, and he escaped and made his way back to Mount Athos.

Obedience and the Conversion of His Master

The episode for which Agapius is chiefly remembered is his return to slavery. When he reported his escape to his elder, the elder reproached him gently, saying that he had deceived the Hagarene but that no one can deceive God, and directed him to return to his master so as to strengthen his humility and his faith in divine providence. Agapius obeyed without complaint and returned voluntarily to servitude.

His master, witnessing this virtue and the loftiness of the Christian faith it expressed, set him free. The master then traveled to Mount Athos together with his two sons; all three received baptism, took up the monastic life, and lived in asceticism there for the rest of their days. The account is preserved consistently in the OCA Synaxarion and in the Holy Trinity Orthodox calendar.

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Synaxis of All Saints of Mount Athos

Synaxis

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints