Saint Nilus the Myrrh-streamer, also known as Nilos/Nilus the

Myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

-gusher, Nilus of

Kynouria Cynuria ( – ''Kynouria'' or – ''Kynouriake'') is an ancient district on the eastern coast of the Peloponnese, between the Argolis and Laconia, so called from the Cynurians, one of the most ancient tribes in the peninsula. It was believed to ...

, or Nilus the

Myroblyte A myroblyte (; from Byzantine Greek language, Byzantine Greek , , 'whose relics produce myron'; la, myroblyta; cu, мѵрото́чецъ; ro, izvorâtor de mir; ka, მირონმდინარე) is a Christian saint from whose relics or ...

( el, Άγιος Νείλος ο Μυροβλήτης; born , died 1651), was an Orthodox Christian ascetic who lived at

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

. He was a monk at the Monastery of Great Lavra who spent much of his life as a hermit at the southern tip of the

Athos Peninsula Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

. His feast day is commemorated on

November 12 Events Pre-1600 * 954 – The 13-year-old Lothair III is crowned at the Abbey of Saint-Remi as king of the West Frankish Kingdom. *1028 – Future Byzantine empress Zoe takes the throne as empress consort to Romanos III Argyros. * 13 ...

according to the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...

Biography

He was born Nikolaos Terzakis ( el, Νικόλαος Τερζάκης) around 1601 in a village called Agios Petros of

Morea The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottoman ...

(

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

), Greece. His parents died when he was young. After their death, he was cared for by his uncle, Hieromonk Macarius (or Makarios). As a young man, he took his monastic vows and was soon ordained, first as a

hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). Th ...

, and then as a

hieromonk A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church and E ...

at the in

. Together with his uncle Macarius, they lived as ascetics on Mount Athos. After the death of Macarius, Nilus settled in a cave on a steep cliff overlooking the sea, at the southern tip of the

. He built a small hut (''kalyvi'') there and lived there for the remainder of his life. Today, this area of Mount Athos, located about halfway between

Katounakia Katounakia ( el, Σκήτη Κατουνάκια) is an Eastern Orthodox skete of the community of Mount Athos that is subordinate to the Great Lavra. The skete is located between Little Saint Anne's Skete and Karoulia. The skete consists of 22 ...

and the Skete of Podromos, is called Agios Nilos, named in honor of St. Nilus. Just before the end of his life, he said was to have

myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

flowing from his body in such abundance that it flowed into the sea from the top of the mountain. That miraculous myrrh attracted people from everywhere and was used to treat physical and spiritual illnesses.

Relics

His holy relics were discovered in 1815. They are kept at the Monastery of Great Lavra. Today, the Holy Cave of Agios Nilos ( el, Ιερό Σπήλαιο Αγίου Νείλου) can be visited by pilgrims to

''Prophecy of St. Nilus''

''The Posthumous Predictions of St. Nilus the Myrrh-streamer'' was purportedly published in 1912 at Mount Athos.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nilus The Myrrh Streamer 1601 births 1651 deaths 17th-century Christian saints 17th-century Christian mystics Christian ascetics Athonite Fathers Eastern Orthodox mystics Eastern Orthodox monks Greek saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Hesychasts People from North Kynouria Myroblyte saints Greek hermits People associated with Great Lavra