Methodios Anthrakites ( el, Μεθόδιος Ανθρακίτης; 1660–1736) was a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
cleric, author, educator, mathematician, astronomer, physicist, and philosopher.
He directed the Gioumeios and Epiphaneios Schools in
Ioannina. He also supported the use of the people's language in education instead of archaic forms of Greek. He was involved in a controversy regarding
Korydalism. He is known for being persecuted for introducing modern philosophical thought to Greek education, the incident is widely known as the Methodios Affair. He made a significant contribution to the growth of the
Modern Greek Enlightenment
The Modern Greek Enlightenment ( el, Διαφωτισμός, ''Diafotismos'', "enlightenment," "illumination"; also known as the Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment) was the Greek expression of the Age of Enlightenment.
Origins
The Greek Enlightenment w ...
during the
Ottoman occupation of Greece.
Life
![Anthrakitis sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Anthrakitis_sign.jpg)
Anthrakites was born in the village of
Kaminia (Καμινιά) or Kamnia (Καμνιά), in the
Zagori
Zagori ( el, Ζαγόρι; rup, Zagori), is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some and contains 46 villages known as ...
region (
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
). He studied in the Gioumeios (later Balaneios) School in
Ioannina under
Georgios Sougdouris
Georgios Sougdouris ( el, Γεώργιος Σουγδουρής; 1645/7–1725) was a Greek philosopher and theologian.
Biography
Sougdouris was born in Ioannina, northwestern Greece, where he finished ground level studies. He continued his studie ...
. After becoming a priest, he left for
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
in 1697, where he studied philosophy, mathematics, geometry, trigonometry, astronomy, and physics. His stay in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
lasted until 1708, he was a priest at
San Giorgio dei Greci
San Giorgio dei Greci ( el, Ἅγιος Γεώργιος τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ´Agios Geórgios ton Ellínon, Saint George of the Greeks) is a church in the ''sestiere'' (neighborhood) of Castello, Venice, northern Italy. It was the center of ...
. He was associated with
Meletius Tipaldi a former Greek Orthodox convert to
Roman Catholicism living in Venice. He urged Methodios to publish three of his works at the printing house of Nikolaos Glykis. In 1699, ''Theories are Christian and psycho-beneficial advices for every Christian'', 1707 ''Spiritual visit'' and in 1708, ''Shepherd of reasonable sheep''. He returned to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
in 1708 and become the first director of the ''Ierospoudasterion'', a new school founded in
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...
in
Macedonia. The benefactor was Georgios Kastriotis, a wealthy Greek from
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...
, who lived in Wallachia. Anthrakites focused on teaching contemporary European philosophy and mathematics.
In 1710, he was called to take over the management of the Kyritzi School in Kastoria. At the institution, he taught Mathematics, Elements of Euclid,
Sphaerics
''Sphaerics'' ( grc, Σφαιρικά) was a set of three volumes on spherical geometry written by Theodosius of Bithynia in the 2nd century BC. These proved essential in the restoration of Euclidean geometry to Western civilization, when brought ...
according to Theodosius, geometry theoretical and practical use of geometric instruments. He also taught micrometry, altitude, surface metering, geodesy, iconography, choreography, stereometry, holometry, and sometimes trigonometry. He taught the study of spheres, astrolabe, geography, and optics. Anthrakites was an educational pioneer. He became extremely popular very fast. He tried to break barriers. The
Galileo affair
The Galileo affair ( it, il processo a Galileo Galilei) began around 1610 and culminated with the trial and condemnation of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Inquisition in 1633. Galileo was prosecuted for his support of heliocentrism, the ...
of 1633 was the persecution of
Galileo Galilei
Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He wa ...
involving Greek scholar
Corydalleus's professor
Cesare Cremonini. The issue dealt with the disbelief in
heliocentrism.
The Catholic education as well as the Greek education was centered around
Neo-Aristotelian philosophy. In the Greek community, this was widely known as Korydalism. Anthrakites tried to break barriers and teach modern European philosophy and logic. He tried to focus on the new teachings of Descartes and
Malebranche while new philosophical ideologies were suspect across Europe and banned in some countries. Descarte was poisoned by a Catholic missionary who opposed his religious views. Anthrakites fame gathered a huge following. Some of his students included
Eugenios Voulgaris,
Sevastos Leontiadis
Sevastos Leontiadis ( el, Σεβαστός Λεοντιάδης) was a Greek educationist who was most known as the director of the Kastoria school between 1726 and 1728.
He was born in Kastoria on 1690. He was student of Methodios Anthrakites in ...
and
Balanos Vasilopoulos.
Balanos Vasilopoulos published Anthrakites mathematical notes in 1749. They were used in Greek textbooks for years to come. In his book ''The Way of Mathematics'', later edited and re-printed by his student
Balanos Vasilopoulos, Anthrakites referred to the Copernican
heliocentric system, although he supported the geocentric system.
Anthrakites also began to introduce spoken language into his teaching. This contrasted with the view in Constantinople. The elders of the church felt Greek tradition lies in the complex Ancient Greek language. He used unconventional teaching methods. The church became very suspicious of his teaching methods. Just as Galileo and Descartes tried to break barriers. Anthrakites also suffered the same fate as his contemporaries. He was eventually involved in the Methodios Affair. As Galileo faced the inquisition for Heliocentrism. Anthrakites faced a similar fate for teaching it.
His teachings were regarded as unusual and gave rise to suspicion in church circles they began questioning his teaching methods at the school. Anthrakites resigned from the ''Ierospoudasterion'' in 1718 and moved to
Siatista
Siatista ( el, Σιάτιστα) is a town and a former municipality in Kozani regional unit, Western Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Voio, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. I ...
, then to Macedonia, where he taught for another two years. He was associated with a powerful wealthy community but they could not help him against the slander. He returned to
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...
and in 1723 appeared before the bishop of
Achris Ioasaph to defend his Christian faith. After that journey, he moved back to Ioannina where he became director of the Gioumeios. Anthrakites was suspended (“unfrocked”) from the Church. Scholars from Ioannina protested the decision to the bishop of
Nikopolis Paisios.
On 23 August 1723, the
Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
Jeremias III formally accused him of
heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
as a follower of Spanish mystic
Miguel de Molinos
Miguel de Molinos (baptised 29 June 1628 – 29 December 1696) was a Spanish mystic, the chief representative of the religious revival known as Quietism.
Biography
He was born in 1628 near Muniesa (Teruel), in Aragon, a village around south ...
and
Quietism and issued a condemnation of his teachings. While he was in Constantinople he hid in the basement for months refusing to burn his notes and books. It was the most difficult period in his life. His books reflected his thoughts on geometry, logic, physics, euclidean arithmetic, and philosophy. He was accused of a satanic conspiracy. He eventually burned his books in the courtyard.
Anthrakites was restored as a teacher but he was only allowed to follow Korydalism. The incident like the condemnation of
Quietism by Pope Innocent XI and the
Galileo affair
The Galileo affair ( it, il processo a Galileo Galilei) began around 1610 and culminated with the trial and condemnation of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Inquisition in 1633. Galileo was prosecuted for his support of heliocentrism, the ...
is termed the Methodios Affair. The Methodios Affair led Greece into the
Modern Greek Enlightenment
The Modern Greek Enlightenment ( el, Διαφωτισμός, ''Diafotismos'', "enlightenment," "illumination"; also known as the Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment) was the Greek expression of the Age of Enlightenment.
Origins
The Greek Enlightenment w ...
. From 1725 he became director of the Epiphaneios School in Ioannina, probably until his death in 1736.
[ Stavros, Vallidis, 2018, pp. 4-5] Some of his students became very important within the Greek community and used his teaching methods and theories.
Eugenios Voulgaris his student eventually taught at the
Maroutsaia School from 1742 to 1746. He taught the physics and mathematics of
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of math ...
and
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
. He also explored the philosophers
John Locke, and
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influ ...
. Eventually, the church began to persecute
Eugenios Voulgaris and he went to another institution. He did not receive the same harsh persecution as Methodios.
Works
Some of his manuscripts have been lost because of his excommunication. His known works are:
*Επίσκεψις Πνευματική “Spiritual Visitation“, Venice, 1707
*Βοσκός λογικών προβάτων “Shepherd of rational sheep“, Venice, 1708
*Θεωρίαι χριστιανικαί και ψυχοφελείς νουθεσίαι “Christian Theories and Spiritual Advises“, Venice, 1708
*Οδός Μαθηματική “The Way of Mathematics” (edited Balanos Vasilopoulos), Venice, 1749
*Λογική ελάττων “Lesser Logic”, 1953
*Εισαγωγή της Λογικής “Introduction to Logic”, (manuscript)
*Λόγος εις τον προφήτην Ηλίαν ”Sermon on Prophetes Elias“, (manuscript)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anthrakites, Methodios
1660 births
1736 deaths
People of the Modern Greek Enlightenment
Education in Ioannina
Greek logicians
Greek scholars
Greek theologians
18th-century Greek philosophers
Greek Eastern Orthodox priests
People excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church
Ottoman Ioannina
People from Zagori
17th-century Greek scientists
17th-century Greek educators
18th-century Greek scientists
18th-century Greek educators
17th-century Greek mathematicians
18th-century Greek mathematicians
17th-century Greek astronomers
18th-century Greek astronomers
18th-century Greek physicists
17th-century Greek physicists