Parthenios IV of Old Patras

Parthenios IV of Old Patras (Greek: Παλαιών Πατρών Παρθένιος Δ΄, 1720–1786) was a Greek hierarch having twice served as metropolitan Old Patras. He took an active part in the Orlovian revolution after the unfortunate outcome of which he escaped on a Russian ship to Russia.

Biography

He was born in Ioannina in 1720. He was metropolitan of Old Patras during the periods 1750-1756 and 1759–1770. He replaced Gerasimos the Theraeus both times. He possessed great education and was an excellent connoisseur of the Ancient Greek language.

In 1766 he built the church of Faneromeni in Aigio. In Orlov revolt, being in Aigio he raised the flag of the revolution and expelled the Ottomans from the city and then campaigned against the Kalavryta. Then the abbot of Mega Spilaio holding a cross and together with the monks with threats and Christian admonitions managed to break the siege of the city under Parthenios, to enter and receive all the Turkish families with the their sacred relics and to transport them safely to Crissian Gulf or Gulf of Itea.

After the failure of that revolution, Parthenios fled first to Zakynthos, under the protection of the Russian fleet, and later to Saint Petersburg begging at the court of Catherine the Great. There the Tsarina granted him some land for his livelihood, since he could not return to his seat due to his deposing.

He died in 1786 and was buried in Moscow in the Donskoy Monastery where his tomb still exists today.

• The Mega Spilaio, for the help it had provided to Turkish families, was especially honored by the Sultan by granting a permanent guard of honor from Albanians, while the Kalavryta did not have any adverse impact.

Legends

During his tenure, there was a great drought in Patras, so it was decided that all the denominations and religions of the city should pray. First the Muslims came out but nothing happened, then the Jews, again nothing. When it was the turn of the Christians, who gathered in the temple of the Prophet Elijah and began the litany, before they could complete it a torrential rain came.

Sources

• Στέφανος Θωμόπουλος, Ιστορία της πόλεως των Πατρών, Τόμος Α΄, έκδοση τέταρτη, Αχαϊκές εκδόσεις 1998, ISBN 960-7960-10-6.
• Κ. Σάθας "Τουρκοκρατούμενη Ελλάδα - Ιστορία των Ελλήνων από την Άλωση ως το 21" τομ.4 Εκδ. Νέα Σύνορα - Α. Α. Λιβάνη Αθήνα 1995, τ.4ος, σ. 12.
• Μιχαήλ Β. Σακελλαρίου, Η Πελοπόννησος κατά την δεύτερην Τουρκοκρατίαν (1715–1821), Αθήνα 1939, επανέκδοση 2000.
• Κώστας Τριανταφύλλου, Ιστορικόν λεξικόν των Πατρών, Πάτρα 1995, 3η έκδοση.