Euthymius the Elder

Saint Euthymius the Elder was abbot of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in the Davit Gareji wilderness. In the chronicles of the monastery he is commemorated as a "man of many labors." According to the nineteenth-⁠century historian Prince John Bagrationi, Euthymius was a philosopher and theologian and an outstanding preacher. He dedicated his life to improving the monastery and rebuilt the nearby village of Khashmi, which had been utterly razed by Dagestani thieves. In Khashmi he built a mill and planted a vineyard with a rare variety of grapes. He adorned the monastery and expanded the estate surrounding the complex. At his instruction a great number of theological works were translated and many rare books were recopied. Euthymius instructed several of his pupils in philosophy and theology.

After receiving a commission from Bishop Saba of Ninotsminda, Euthymius composed an Akathist hymn to Saint Nino, Equal to the Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia. In 1797 the black plague broke out in Tbilisi and the residents fled the city. Like true guardian angels, monastics and hermits abandoned their isolated cells and came to minister to the sick and suffering. As in so many other worthy endeavors, Euthymius was the leader and inspiration behind these works of mercy. The pious Euthymius reposed peacefully in the year 1804. He is commemorated on 8 August (new style; 21 August on the old calendar).