Abstract
Kaisarios Dapontes, the son of a prosperous family in Chios, spent much of his life in the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Following his studies at the Princely Academy in Iași, he was entrusted with administrative roles. After series of professional and personal crises, he became a monk on Mount Athos. During a six year fundraising tour equipped with the relic of the True Cross from the Monastery of Xeropotamos, he also visited the Holy Putna Monastery. He was also a prolific author of historical, educational and edifying works in poetry and prose.
After a brief introduction to his life, this article discusses the motivations and social context of Dapontes’ literary production. Particular focus is placed on his attitudes towards the Byzantine past.
Keywords
Greek Enlightenment, Kaisarios Dapontes, Mavrokordatos family, Putna Monastery, relic of the True Cross, Xeropotamos Monastery
