Famous Greek Spiritual & Religious Leaders

The daughter of Nyx and Hesiod, Eris is the Greek goddess of strife. Eris was the only one not invited to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, and thus threw a golden apple, “for the most beautiful,” while Paris awarded it to Aphrodite, angering Athena and Hera. Eris thus initiated the Trojan War.

Polycarp was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to some sources,  he had been a disciple of John the Apostle, one of Jesus’ disciples. Along with Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch, he is regarded as one of three chief Apostolic Fathers. He died a martyr, according to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, and is considered a saint.

Greek bishop Irenaeus, now revered as a Catholic saint, is remembered for his clashes with the Gnostics and his notable work Adversus haereses. Irenaeus apparently preached about the validity of the Jewish Bible, while the Gnostics were against it. Legend has it that he had seen Polycarp of Smyrna.

Marcion of Sinope was an evangelist, theologian, and a prominent figure in early Christianity. His teachings gave rise to a dualistic belief system called Marcionism. Marcion claimed that the god mentioned in the Old Testament was a deity responsible for the creation of the material universe and is different from the true Supreme Being, who sent Jesus Christ to earth.

Pope Hyginus served as the bishop of Rome from 138 until his death in 142. Hyginus played a crucial role in determining the numerous prerogatives of the clergy during his papacy. He also helped define the various grades of the priestly hierarchy. 

Pope Eleutherius, the bishop of Rome for around 15 years from 174 to 189 C.E, is revered as a Saint in the Catholic Church. He is known for his stance against the Montanist movement and the food decree that he issued. Also, as per a legend, it is believed that Lucius, the King of Britain, asked him to send missionaries.

Damaskinos of Athens served as the archbishop of Athens from 1941 to 1949. Between 1944 and 1946, he also served as the regent of Greece; the period that marked the exit of the German occupation force and the return of King George II. He also founded the charity Queen's Fund to help children affected by the Greek Civil War.

Ieronymos II of Athens is the current Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. He was elected by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece on 7 February 2008. Ieronymos is also credited with authoring two major textbooks, namely Christian Boeotia and Medieval Monuments of Euboea.

Athenagoras I of Constantinople was a Greek archbishop who went on to serve as the 268th Patriarch of Constantinople. He served as the Patriarch from 1948 to 1972 during which he worked closely with the World Council of Churches. He also worked tirelessly to improve Constantinople's relations with the Pope and the Catholic Church.

Alexander of Abonoteichus was a Greek oracle and mystic best remembered for founding the Glycon Cult, a large cult that achieved wide popularity in the 2nd century within the Roman Empire. Although Alexander of Abonoteichus achieved great popularity and political influence with his predictions, modern scholars like Lucian of Samosata have called him a fraud.

Isidore of Kiev was a Greek Orthodox patriarch of Russia, Roman cardinal, humanist and theologian who was a prominent advocate of the reunion of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western Catholic Church. He, however, faced opposition, imprisonment and was forced into exile. Later, Pope Pius II gave him two titles - Latin Patriarch of Constantinople and Archbishop of Cyprus.

A Greek Athonite hieromonk and Eastern Orthodox Saint recognised for his gifts of spiritual discernment, Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) of Kafsokalivia was born in a village in Greece as Evangelos Bairaktaris. He became a monk when he was around fourteen and then served as a priest, a spiritual confessor and a hospital chaplain. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople canonized him in 2013.

William of Moerbeke was a translator best remembered for translating important scientific, medical, and philosophical written materials from Greek to Latin. He is credited with translating some of Aristotle's works, including Politics. William of Moerbeke's translations were influential and his works are still revered by modern scholars.

Christodoulos of Athens served as the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece from 1998 to 2008. He is credited with launching new Church social services to tackle social issues like the support for single mothers, the welfare of drug addicts, and the support for abused women. Christodoulos of Athens also established an NGO named Solidarity to aid humanitarian causes.

Gregory of Sinai was a monk who played a major role in the emergence of Hesychasm in 14th century. He learned the ways of Hesychasm from Arsenios. Gregory of Sinai is also credited with founding a monastery in southeast Bulgaria where he had taken shelter in the Bulgarian Empire in an attempt to escape the increasing Muslim raids on Athos.

Philotheus I of Constantinople served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1353 and 1376. He had two terms as the Ecumenical Patriarch; from 1353 to 1354 and again from 1364 to 1376. Philotheus I of Constantinople was also a prolific writer. As a hymn writer, he is remembered for composing services in commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas.

Seraphim of Athens served as the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. In his capacity as the Archbishop, a position which he served from 1974 until his death in 1998, Seraphim of Athens visited the Patriarchates of Belgrade, Sofia, Antioch, Moscow, and Constantinople. During his 24-year tenure as Archbishop, he swore in numerous Prime Ministers and six Presidents of Greece.

Anthimus VII/Anthimus VII Tsatsos was the Ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople for two years between 1895 and 1896. He is known for his criticism of the papal encyclical Praeclara Gratulationis (of Roman Pope Leo XIII) which called for the reunion of Eastern and Western churches. He was also a theologian, an orator and a critic of the Roman Catholic Church.

Eusebius of Emesa was a pupil of Eusebius of Caesarea and ecclesiastic of the Greek Church. His abilities as an astronomer and mathematician led locals to believe that he was practicing sorcery. His reputation as an astrologer earned him a respectable place in the empire of Constantius II. Eusebius of Emesa often accompanied the emperor on his expeditions.

Dositheos II of Jerusalem was the Patriarch of Jerusalem between 1669 and 1707 and is known for supporting the Eastern orthodoxy over Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Earlier, after being ordained deacon, he was made archdeacon of Jerusalem and thereafter consecrated archbishop of Caesarea Palestinae. His work History of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem was published after his death.

Meletios Pegas was consecrated Greek Patriarch of Alexandria in 1590 and continued to serve till 1601. He was opposed to the Roman Catholic Church and worked towards the Greek Church-Coptic Church reunification. While in office, he simultaneously also served as locum tenens of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.