Saint Anthim the Iberian

Anthim the Iberian (Romanian: Antim Ivireanul, Georgian: ანთიმოზ ივერიელი – Antimoz Iverieli; secular name: Andria; 1650 — September or October 1716) was a Georgian theologian, scholar, calligrapher, philosopher and one of the greatest ecclesiastic figures of Wallachia, led the printing press of the prince of Wallachia, and was Metropolitan of Bucharest in 1708–1715. Anthim was born in the Kingdom of Kartli, a Georgian kingdom then known as Iberia in the west. Anthim was taken prisoner by Ottoman troops, and sold in the slave market at Constantinople. He was trained as an artisan, learning wood sculpting, painting, embroidery, and calligraphy. At some point he was ransomed by the Patriarch of Constantinople. He took orders in Istanbul, while living on the compounds of the Patriarchate. Patriarch Dositheos traveled to Iași, taking Anthim with him. A Greek printing office had been established there in 1682. In 1689 he was asked to settle in Wallachia by Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, and in 1691 was given charge of the newly founded printing press in Bucharest. In 1693, he published the Gospels in Romanian. In 1695, being appointed father superior (egumen) of the Snagov Monastery, and established a printing office at the new location. In addition to Georgian, Anthim spoke and wrote Greek, Turkish, and Arabic. He soon acquired a thorough knowledge of Romanian, and was instrumental in helping to introduce that language into the local church as its official language. In 1702 he returned to Bucharest. He became bishop of Râmnic in 1705, and in 1708 Metropolitan of Wallachia. In 1709, Anthim founded the first Georgian printing press in Tbilisi. Through his pupil Mihai Iștvanovici, he also trained Georgians in the art of printing and personally cut the type with which the first printed Georgian Gospels were made in 1710. He also printed a short catechism to assist his priests in giving catechetical instruction.