Mary, the Mother of God, holds a prominent position in Byzantine theology and folk piety. She was seen as the protector of the capital, Constantinople, where two of her relics were also kept. Her role in the incarnation of Christ has been widely discussed, but an aspect that has thus far been neglected is her veneration as a monastic model, men and women alike. Fr Damaskinos from the Holy Monastery of Xenophontos (Mt. Athos, Greece) explores narratives, sermons, hymns, and iconographic material in order to show that Mary was seen as a monastic model from Athanasius of Alexandria (4th century) up until the Late Byzantine period, most notably in the work of Gregory Palamas (14th century).
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