The ‘Life Aquatic’ on Athos in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries

Many of the surviving documents from the monastic archives of Mt. Athos deal with water. This chapter deals not only with fresh water in the form of rainfall and streams, but also with the seas surrounding the Holy Mountain. The effect of permanent and non-permanent water courses on the development of the monastic communities is discussed as are matters such as ‘ownership’ of water sources, disputes over water rights and the exploitation of water-based resources such as mills. Water supply to monastic houses and features such as cisterns and fountains are also investigated. The second part of the chapter deals with the sea: issues of access to it, landing stages, boats, boat-houses, and exploitation of fishing rights. Given the professed ‘love of solitude’ expressed by Athonite founders, how and why did some monasteries gain privileges and exemptions for their ships and how did they wish to exploit them? How could such economic activity be reconciled with the ‘self-sufficiency’ promoted by such figures as St Athanasios. Much has been written recently about water in Constantinople, where the water supply, the provision of fish, and organization of fisheries and, more recently, fountains have all been the subjects of study. This chapter aims to examine aquatic matters in a provincial and far more rural setting.