Archives of Mount Athos

The systematic study of the sources and history of Mount Athos at the National Hellenic Research Foundation reaches back to the 1960s. The establishment of the Center for Byzantine Research—now the Section of Byzantine Research within the Institute of Historical Research (IHR)—marked the launch of the first initiatives dedicated to the Athonite archives. The pioneers of this effort were Nikos Oikonomides and Panagiotis Nikolopoulos. From the early 1980s through 2016, the project operated in a systematic manner under the supervision of Kriton Chrysochoidis.

The main aims of the project are:

• the reconstitution, recording, classification, cataloguing, photographing, and publication of the post-Byzantine documents preserved in the archives of the monasteries of Mount Athos
• the compilation of thematic collections of documents
• the publication of scholarly studies that draw upon Athonite sources
• organizing conferences, lectures, and exhibitions focused on the history of Mount Athos

The project operates within the broader field “Archival, Diplomatic, and Palaeographic Research” of the hub “Primary Sources: Edition and Digital Documentation” in the Section of Byzantine Research and is carried out by researchers Nikolaos Livanos and Zisis Melissakis. Under the IHR, NHRF imprint, the Archives of Mount Athos project publishes the scholarly series Athonika Symmeikta, offering high-caliber source editions and studies on Mount Athos.

Implementation relies on extended field expeditions to the archives of the Athonite monasteries, where materials are systematically recorded and photographed. According to project needs, Institute collaborators and graduate or postgraduate students—principally in history, archaeology, and philology—augment the core research team. The collected material is processed for rigorous scholarly use, in line with current methodological standards. Special attention is given to the continual refinement of tools for documenting, analyzing, and interpreting the sources, ensuring that project practices keep pace with developments in historical research. Central to the endeavor is the digital documentation of Athonite archival material, designed to create accessible and versatile infrastructures for both the scholarly community and the wider public. Digitization and online dissemination of the documents expand their availability and encourage new avenues of study and collaboration.

Sub-projects:

• Archives of the Holy Monastery of Dionysiou: Diplomatic Edition of the Post-Byzantine Documents (N. Livanos)
• Archives of the Holy Monastery of Iviron: Abstracts of the Post-Byzantine Documents (K. Chrysochoidis)
• Archives of the Holy Monastery of Iviron: Classification and Cataloging of the Modern Archive (K. Chrysochoidis, N. Livanos, K. Dolmas, Z. Melissakis, D. Kalpakis)
• Archives of the Holy Monastery of Philotheou: Abstracts of the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Documents (N. Melvani)