James of Zographou

Holy Venerable Martyr James of Zographou is one of the twenty-⁠six martyrs of the Athonite monastery of Zographou, killed between 1274 and 1284 for remaining faithful to Orthodoxy. The calendar commemorates him only in the list of the monks, as James; we tell below the story of the whole community.

In 1274 Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos entered into union with Rome, but most of the Athonite monasteries firmly refused to betray Orthodoxy and rebuked the apostates. For this the Holy Mountain was plundered by Latin troops and mercenaries, who tormented many monks. The monastery of Zographou, inhabited by Bulgarians, was especially endangered, for the emperor did not wish to turn the Greeks against him and preferred to vent his anger on monasteries of another nation.

Learning wonderfully of the approach of the soldiers, Hegumen Thomas told the brethren that whoever wished to stay alive must flee the monastery, and whoever desired martyrdom should remain. Twenty-⁠six remained: Hegumen Thomas, the monks Barsanuphius, Cyril, Micah, Simon, Hilarion, James, another James, Job, Cyprian, Savva, Martinian, Cosmas, Sergius, Mena, Joasaph, Joannicius, Paul, Anthony, Euthymius, Domentian, Parthenius and four lay labourers whose names are not known. They shut themselves in the tower of the monastery. On arriving, the Latin soldiers set fire to the tower. While it burned, the martyrs of Christ sang psalms and the akathist to the Mother of God and so gave their souls to God on 10 October, between 1274 and 1284.

They are commemorated on 4 July (new style, a movable day), in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of Athos.