GBEEK CHURCH. 223 GREEK FESTIVALS. taries, lay and cleric, of the patriarchal house- hold, of the notables and the nierchants of the city, and of the head;, of corporations. Tlicir choice is limited, however, to one of three can- didates, who must be metropolitans, selected by the Holy Synod of bishops. The elect one does not become patriarch until invested by the Govern- ment, which also has the power to depose. This has led to abuses and simoniacal practices. Dur- ing the nineteenth century many of the patriarchs were deposed for extortion at the request of the Synod. Tlip Greek Church in Russia became practical- ly independent by the appointment of a Patriarch of Moscow in loSS. The dignity was subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople until the reign of Czar Alexis, father of Peter the Great, when the Patriarch of JIoscow, Nikon, refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of Constanti- nople. About the year 1700, on the death of the Muscovite Patriarch, Peter the Great would not j)ennit the appointment of another, but allowed the authority to be exercised to a cer- tain extent by a bishop under the name of exarch. After the lapse of twenty years, during which time the people became accustomed to the idea of having no patriarch, a holy synod or gov- erning committee was appointed, over which the Czar has ever since presided. The leading prin- ciple., in fact, of the new constitution of the Russian Church is the absolute supremacy of the Czar. The Holy Synod is now regarded as one of the departments of the Government, the Min- ister of Public orship being ex-nlficio a mem- ber. To tliis body, through a bishop, residing in San Francisco, and bearing the title of Bishop of Al.aska and the Aleutian Islands, the churches of this communion in the United States, which are partly supported by the Russian Government, are responsible. There are 58 of them. with some 40 priests, and 4.5.000 adherents. Their periodi- cal organ is the Anierikirvslni Rusxlfii Vlrstiiih (New York), to which is published in English a monthly Russian Orthodox American Supple- ment. The Greek Church of the Kingdom of Greece originated with the revolution of 1821-20, which made the coimtry independent of Turkey. The new Church was organized by a formal decree in 183,'?. The Patriarch of Constantinople claimed jurisdiction until 1868, when he acknowledged the entire independence of the Greek hierarchy. The government of the Church of Greece is mod- eled on that of the Russian Church. Ecclesiasti- cal authority is vested in a Holy Synod consist- ing of five members, usually archbishops, or bisliops, though exceptionally a monk or a priest may be among the number. This body is sup- posed to be independent in spiritiial affairs, hut as its members are appointed by the Crown and hold office only for a year, it has become in prac- tice a State instrument. ^loreover, two officials of the Crown have the right to assist at all de- liberations, though without votes. The Holy Synod elects bishops, but the Crown has the right of confirmation and investiture. The Church of Greece is represented in the United States by five priests, five churches, and 20.000 adherents. The Eastern Church in its varinus liranches is estimated to number abont PS. 000, 000 adher- ents, of which over 00,000.000 belons to the Rus- sian Church. For the bodies which follow in many particulars the Greek usages and liturgy, but are in communion with the Pope, see UMATES ; E.STERN RlTE, CUUKCHES OF. Consult the general Church histories, SchafT, Darras, Xeander, etc. or llcfele, Cuncilien-llc- schichle (Freiburg, 1851-73) ; and Neale, Uistory of the Holy Eastern Church (5 vols,, London, 1850-73) ; Dean Stanley, History of the Eastern Church (London, 1801) ; Silbcrnagel, Vcrfassung und gcyenuiirtifjcr Bcstand siiniinlUclicr Kirchen dcs Orients (Laiidshut, lS(i5) ; Tozer, The Church and the Eastern Empire (London, 1888) ; Her- genn'Hhcr, Monunicnta (Irccea ad I'hotium I'crti- nentia (Regensburg, ISO!)) ; id., I'hotius, Patri- arch von Constantinopel, sein Leben und seine Schriften (3 vols., Regensburg, 1807-69) ; How- ard, The Schism Between the Oriental and West- ern Churches (London, 1892) ; Rohan, L'cglise orihodoxe grceo-russe (Brussels, 1897); Ga- garin. The Russian Clergy (London, 1872) ; Hor- ton, Student's History of the Creek Church (New York, 1902) ; Pierling, La Russie et le Saint Siege, etudes diplomatiques (Paris. 1890) ; also Popes et Tsars (Paris, 1890). Pierling is the author of a series of works on the relations be- tween the Holy See and the Czar during the six- teenth and seventeenth centuries. GREEK CROSS. See Cross. GREEK EMPIRE. See Byzantine Empire. GREEK FESTIVALS. Celebrations for the most part in honor of some god, and in their regular recurrence corresponding with the week- ly rest-day of Jews and Christians. Offerings to the gods on the part of the State or individ- uals were of almost daily occurrence, but of course caused no general cessation of labor. On the other hand at frequent intervals occurred great celebrations, during which there seems to have been a general suspension of business, both public and private. These festivals were in general local, and their number naturally varied greatly in dif- ferent places,, and at diffci'ent times. The .-Vthe- nians were famous for the nmnber and splendor of their festivals, while, later, Tarentum was said to have more holidays than working daj-s in her calendar. The tendency seems to have been to increase the number and duration of these oc- casions, though it may well be doubted whether there was not a decrease in devotion. More and more the games, processions, and feasting at pub- lie expense seem to have become the chief attrac- tion. Sacrifices on the part of the State were of course a part of all such solemnities, and fre- quently the image of the god was carried in solemn procession, but in the details there was a wide difference. Some festivals were attended with athletic contests, or recitations by the rhap- sodists ; some were the scene of musical or dra- matic contests; while others w'ere accompanied by rites which are obviously survivals of early popular superstitions, and for which analogies may be found in the folklore of other peoples. Thus at the Festival of Apollo, held in Attica during the month Pyanepsion, which theoreti- cally began about the end of October, cooked beans as a symbol of the fruits of the autumn were offered to the god, and an olive branch, the so-called Eiresione, hung w-ith figs, cakes, and small jars of oil, wine, and honey, was carried Ihroush the streets, and suspended from the temple by a boy whose parents were still living. Similar branches were borne by the attending worshipers, and afterwards hung at the doors
