Among other documents in the archives of the metropolis of Samos there is a testament of a certain priest Theodore, dated March 3, 1792. Theodore leaves almost all his possessions to the Vronta monastery, including a vineyard, a house with an orchard in Valeontades, a gun, a pitcher and a few ottoman silver coins (gurus), on the condition that the monastery would undertake all his debts. He also leaves a mule, two or more oxen, and a copper pot to the poor children of a woman called Moskyani. There are signatures of witnesses on the testament, which has been written by the priestmonk Nilos (Nile, as the river in Egypt), who signs as the "priestmonk that chants in [the chapel of] Saint Constantine". Whether Theodore was illiterate or Nile was just the local testament specialist is open to speculation. In addition, Nile was a monk of the Vronta monastery. The aforementioned chapel is at the entrance of the village of Ano (upper) Agios (Saint) Konstantinos, in a vineyard.
It seems that Nilos performed the Greek orthodox service for nearby communities, but he used the chapel as an occasional residence too, and he also offered complementary services, e.g. to write testaments, making sure that the monastery would get a share of the inherited property, or at least a donation for the soul of the deceased person.
In another testament, also written by priestmonk Nilos in 1799, Giorgis (George) Saris, who is very ill and likely to die soon, leaves a house to his wife Vassiliki, and ten silver coins to the monastery.
In yet another testament, also written by priestmonk Nilos in 1799, (a second person named) Vassiliki, who was ready to give birth, leaves all her possessions, i.e. a mill (of unspecified kind), a piece of land, a vineyard, a copper pot, and one hundred silver coins to the monastery, despite the fact that her husband was alive and would be responsible for raising the upcoming child (and perhaps other children).
However, according to Joseph Georgirenes, archbishop of Samos, who published (in English language) a book titled "A description of the present state of Samos, Nicaria, Patmos, and Mount Athos" in 1677 in London, there were some severe restrictions on inherited land in the Ottoman state: "... If any Man dye without Issue Male, the Aga has power to seise his Lands, and to sell them to whom he pleases. Neither Male nor Female can inherit the Lands of their Mother, but they fall to the Aga, who has power to sell or dispose of them as he thinks fit." Therefore a person, whose property would be subject to confiscation by ottoman authorities might prefer to donate his or her property to a monastery. Whether a land donation could be accompanied by a secret agreement, which would allow the family to continue to cultivate the same piece of land, is a matter for further investigation.
In the meantime it appears that Nilos had found time to visit the holy lands, and came back as Hatzi-nilos (the prefix Hatzi- implies that a christian person has visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem). In 1803 he has made a donation for works in the chapel of St Nicholas in Alatzades (a location between Agios Konstantinos and Ambelos). His name appears on a curved stone above the entrance of the chapel.
1821 is the year of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman state. The island of Samos has also joined the revolution in the same year, but many land owners opposed the revolution. Nilos has climbed the monastery hierarchy and has already become abbot, for the first time in 1811. As he is returning from the city of Vathi to the monastery, in the area of Kedros he gets killed by a monk and an accompanying person, on the pretext that Nilos was against the revolution. However, in 1834, while Samos failed to join the newly born Greek state and was a semi-autonomous state under Turkish suzerainty, Nilos's nephews filed an official complaint saying that Nilos had been killed by other monks, who wanted to inherit his possessions.
It seems that Nilos performed the Greek orthodox service for nearby communities, but he used the chapel as an occasional residence too, and he also offered complementary services, e.g. to write testaments, making sure that the monastery would get a share of the inherited property, or at least a donation for the soul of the deceased person.
In another testament, also written by priestmonk Nilos in 1799, Giorgis (George) Saris, who is very ill and likely to die soon, leaves a house to his wife Vassiliki, and ten silver coins to the monastery.
In yet another testament, also written by priestmonk Nilos in 1799, (a second person named) Vassiliki, who was ready to give birth, leaves all her possessions, i.e. a mill (of unspecified kind), a piece of land, a vineyard, a copper pot, and one hundred silver coins to the monastery, despite the fact that her husband was alive and would be responsible for raising the upcoming child (and perhaps other children).
However, according to Joseph Georgirenes, archbishop of Samos, who published (in English language) a book titled "A description of the present state of Samos, Nicaria, Patmos, and Mount Athos" in 1677 in London, there were some severe restrictions on inherited land in the Ottoman state: "... If any Man dye without Issue Male, the Aga has power to seise his Lands, and to sell them to whom he pleases. Neither Male nor Female can inherit the Lands of their Mother, but they fall to the Aga, who has power to sell or dispose of them as he thinks fit." Therefore a person, whose property would be subject to confiscation by ottoman authorities might prefer to donate his or her property to a monastery. Whether a land donation could be accompanied by a secret agreement, which would allow the family to continue to cultivate the same piece of land, is a matter for further investigation.
In the meantime it appears that Nilos had found time to visit the holy lands, and came back as Hatzi-nilos (the prefix Hatzi- implies that a christian person has visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem). In 1803 he has made a donation for works in the chapel of St Nicholas in Alatzades (a location between Agios Konstantinos and Ambelos). His name appears on a curved stone above the entrance of the chapel.
1821 is the year of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman state. The island of Samos has also joined the revolution in the same year, but many land owners opposed the revolution. Nilos has climbed the monastery hierarchy and has already become abbot, for the first time in 1811. As he is returning from the city of Vathi to the monastery, in the area of Kedros he gets killed by a monk and an accompanying person, on the pretext that Nilos was against the revolution. However, in 1834, while Samos failed to join the newly born Greek state and was a semi-autonomous state under Turkish suzerainty, Nilos's nephews filed an official complaint saying that Nilos had been killed by other monks, who wanted to inherit his possessions.
