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The Holy Metropolis of Larissa and Tirnavos
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On November 4, 2004 the Metropolis of Larissa celebrated 1680 years since 324 A.D., the year when Saint Contantinos the Great proclaimed it an Episcopate.
It is worth mentioning its significant contribution to the foundation and preservation of the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition.
During the festivities for the 1680 years of the time since the proclamation of Thessaly as an Episcopate,
Mr Demetrios Sophianos that is a professor of the Ionian University presented historical records about the Metropolis of Larissa. As mentioned above, the Metropolis of Larissa became well-known for the diffusion of Christianity to a great number of Christian martyrs, clergymen and seculars.
At the time there were numerous episcopates in Thessaly the clergymen and especially bishops of which were educated and virtuous persons who excelled in their good grounding in Theology.
Many of those bishops were canonized while others were made patriarchs or entered upon the dignity of archbishop.
In the first Christian years, in 324 A.D. the episcopacy of Larissa which was the most significant Thessalian episcopacy was proclaimed archdiocese by Constantine the Great, the founder of Christianity and of the Byzantine imperial power.
The ecclesiastical title of archdiocese implied the privilege of independence that was granted to the archdiocese of Larissa.
In 531 A.D. the Local Synod of Larissa was proclaimed a Metropolis that was at the head of the Thessalian episcopates.
Towards the close of the 9th century A.D., the Metropolis of Larissa was the 34th most important metropolis of those that were subject to the ecumenical throne of Constantinople.
About 25 or 35 episcopates were subject to the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Larissa. The extent of its power is easily estimated if it is taken into account that today many of these episcopates belong to Thessaly not only geographically but also ecclesiastically. The metropolite of Larissa has been metropolite of Larissa and Tirnavos since 1734.
Number 1471 and 1472 codes of the National Library of Greece provide valuable information about the procedure that was followed for the election of the bishops that belonged to the Metropolis of Larissa in the 17th century.
After a bishop’s death, his resignation, dethronement or transfer, the metropolite of Larissa ordered that the bishops come together in order to make out a list of the candidates for the dignity of archbishop. During the Synod the bishops and those who were present at the place where the Synod took place, came together.
As the barbaric invasions had made Larissa an uninhabited and desert town, the See of the Metropolis of Larissa was transferred to Trikala which remained its See for many centuries.
After the Turkish conquest of Larissa by Vagiatzit I in 1391, Larissa became a Turkish town the inhabitants of which were exclusively Muslims.
Four centuries later, in 1739 the metropolites of Larissa definitively returned to their regular See in Larissa when Patriarch Neofitos III issued a Synodical Epistle according to which the episcopate of Trikki was reformed so that the metropolite of Larissa Iakovos II (1734-1749) left Trikala and settled in Larissa.
The metropolites of Larissa excelled in their godly lives, their Christian deeds and charity and they were canonized.
Saint Achilles is the patron Saint of Larissa and the bishop par excellence of this town. There is a sublime church dedicated to the Saint where the Saint’s relics have been kept since they were taken back to Larissa in the early eighties after centuries of roaming.
Saint Achilles has been one of the most illustrious bishops, in the first Christian years,
in the 4th century A.D. He contributed greatly not only to consolidating the Local Church of Thessaly and Larissa but also to consolidating Christianity in the hard times of its spread. He has been the first archbishop of Larissa and the first prelate to have introduced Christianity to the region.
The Saint’s relics had been forgotten and remained hidden for a long time. They were finally found on February 10, in the 8th century. After having occupied Larissa
in 985-986 A.D., Samuel, the bloodthirsty King of the Bulgarians, stole the Saint’s relics and took them to the Small Prespa lake (Mikri Prespa) where a church dedicated to Saint Achilles was erected. The Byzantine columnist Ioannis Skilitzis has recounted these historic events in detail.
At Saint Achilles’ death and for an uninterrupted period of ten centuries illustrious bishops proved to be worthy of their dignity.
In a church of Trikala dedicated to Saint Anargiri, seven Holy archbishops of Larissa are depicted
on a wall-painting of the north narthex which dates from 1627.
Thomas Horiatis, Kiprianos Thavmatourgos, Antonios Logiotatos and Neos Theologos, Vissarion Proin, Dionisios Eleimon, Markos Isihastis and Vissarion Sotiros are the names of the bishops depicted according to the inscriptions.
As the town of Trikala has been the See of the metropolites of Larissa for centuries, the above bishops are not depicted in a church of Larissa but in a church of Trikala.
It is also worth mentioning the names of three metropolites of Larissa that have been national martyrs.
Bishop Dionisios II, the philosopher, who was also known under the derisive nickname of Skilosophos, met a violent death in Ioannina, in 1601 for having organized a revolt against the Turks.
Bishop Dionisios VII Kalliarhis was hanged
with Grigorios V in the Metropolis of Efesos on April 10, 1821, at Easter.
In 1821 Bishop Bithikousis Dardeos was beheaded by order of Dramali Pasha. All three bishops of Larissa that died martyrs to their faith are ranked among the Saints in the Legendary of the Greek Orthodox Church and Nation.
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