The Patmos island ~History
One of the original 12, or Dodecanese, Greek islands, Patmos is rich in both history and natural beauty. The small, hilly island (34.6 square kilometers) was populated from as early as 500 BC by Dorian’s, next the Ionian’s, and then the Romans from the 2nd century BC. The earliest known temples on the island were the 4th century BC sanctuary of Diana and it is suspected that the name Patmos may derive from Latmos or Mt. Latmos of Turkey, where the goddess Diana was worshipped.
帕特摩島（PATMOS），聖若望宗徒充軍和寫默示錄的小島。
聖若望宗徒住的山洞和寫默示錄的地方，現在是希臘教會的聖地。
大約公元九十五年，聖若望宗徒被羅馬皇帝多米仙充軍至帕特摩兩年，居住在何拉（Hora）和斯卡拉行政區（Skala）中間的山洞中，在此得到啟示，聽到號角聲，看見一位像似人子者。聖若望洞靠何拉山丘有一白色建築群：默示錄修院、聖堂和帕特摩修院教室，這裡還有一座領洗池，凡來此的信友有如在主內重生。從此下四十二石階來到聖洞前的小院子，在進洞口上方有聖若望宗徒的像，上方刻著：「這地方多麼可畏！這裏不是別處，乃是天主的居所，上天之門。」這座黑暗神秘的山洞使朝聖者忘掉背後的世界，而浸淫在內心的安寧中，耳中回應到：「我是『阿耳法』和『敖默加』」，那今在、昔在及將來永在的全能者上主天主這樣說。
聖洞是以黑岩石自然形成，洞是北向的，各方有一洞，南邊是小聖堂，是聖若望睡覺和寫默示錄的地方，在石壁上有刻出的十字及三條刻出的深溝，據傳說是聖宗徒所刻，三條刻線溝是聖若望聽天主說：「我是全能的上主天主」時所雕出的。十字下石壁上有一小洞，高約十公分，是聖宗徒休息時頭靠在石牆的地方，祭台的背景是聖人們的畫像，以葡萄籐圍繞，正中間是聖若望匍匐在地聆聽天主的話，右邊不遠處有一凹進的洞，離地面約一公尺，是聖若望跪在此處，以斜坡平面為石桌寫默示錄，默想。
During the period of Roman rule the island fell into decline, the population decreased, and the island was used as a place of banishment for criminals and political and religious troublemakers.
In 95 AD, St. John the Theologian – one of the twelve disciples of Jesus -was sent into exile on the island. St. John remained on the island for 18 months during which time he lived in a cave below the hilltop temple of Diana. In this cave exists a fissure, or small hole in the rock wall, from which issued a collection of oracular messages that St. John transcribed as the Biblical chapter of Revelations. During his time in the sacred cave, now known as the Holy Grotto of the Revelation, St. John also composed the Fourth Gospel.
In 313 AD, Christianity was officially recognized as the religion of the Roman Empire and from this time the new faith spread rapidly throughout the Greek islands. The eastern Christian empire of Byzantium exercised control over the isle of Patmos and in the 4th century the ancient shrine of Diana was torn down. Directly upon its foundations was erected a church dedicated to St. John but this church was itself destroyed sometime between the 6th and 9th centuries when the island was subjected to frequent raids by the Arabs.
Left deserted after these raids, Patmos next entered history in 1088 when a Byzantine emperor granted the island to the monk Christodolous, whose intention it was to establish a monastery. Built upon the remains of the old church and the older shrine of Diana, the monastery of St. John has been in continuous operation for over 900 years. Subjected to raids by Saracens and Norman pirates during the 11th and 12th centuries, the monastery was frequently enlarged and fortified, giving it the castle-like appearance it retains today.
The small town of Hora surrounding the monastery dates mostly from the mid 17th century and its labyrinthine street arrangement was purposefully designed to confuse pirates intent on raiding the town and monastery. Author: Martin Gray
St. John the Evangelist (Apostle) is a disciple of Christ; he followed Jesus after the miraculous draught of fishes on the Sea of Galilee and was with him at the most important moments. At the foot of the Cross he supported the failing Virgin. After the Apostles scattered, he traveled to Asia and settled in Ephesus with the Virgin. There he was arrested and thrown into burning oil, but was unhurt. Under Emperor Dominitian he was exiled to island Patmos, where in the company of an eagle he wrote the Revelations. After amnesty he returned to Ephesus, where he composed his Gospel. There he survived an ordeal set by the high priest of Ephesus: he was unaffected by a beverage concocted from snake?s venom, when offered a chalice, St. John blessed it, and the venom in the form of a snake, was miraculously drawn from the liquid. A legend also says that he was lifted up in an Assumption by an angel. He is the patron saint of booksellers. In fine arts he is often depicted with an Eagle, book (Gospel or Revelation), snake or dragon emerging from a cup or chalice.
完美~~完美~Be Self 