|
The island had a wealth
of animal life, recorded by travellers from
other lands, and in 1196 A.D, by St. Neofytos,
who lived in Cyprus. His contemporary, St.
Mamas, included in his prayer for the animals
this thanksgiving: I milk the hinds, make
cheese and give it to the poor. And I will dwell
in the caves until the day of my martyrdom. In
the place where St. Afxentios built his cave,
there was plenty of meat and hinds milk cheese.
He hollowed out the rock with great skill and
artistry. The opening was shaped as an archway,
with a trench cut in the roof to collect
rain-water. The shepherds and the villagers who
knew him held in deep respect this hermit who
had chosen the place for his hermitage, and
their affection grew as the years went by. When
he died, at a ripe old age, they buried him
reverently in his cave. In the course of time,
sand blew into the cave, filling it and there
grew in the sand flowers that have never been
seen before. The flowers were very fragrant, and
people who passed by drank in the fragrance
eagerly. The scent was believed to have healing
powers, and many sick people were miraculously
cured. The people of Eptakomi and Komi-kebir
were in later years anxious to learn more about
the hermit, who had lived in a cave and became a
revered, legendary figure, and they asked the
Archbishop for information, but he could tell
them very little, as there were no written
records of Afxentios life in the cave.
 |
