Church of Agios Demetrios of Diakos in Athens, Greece
In an area with many ancient temples and monuments sits the mostly overlooked Church of Agios Demetrios of Diakos. The church is named after Athanasios Nikolaos Massavetas, a hero during the Greek War of Independence.
Massavetas was born in central Greece in 1788 into a family of Klephts (Greek highwaymen). Drawn to religion as a youth, he was sent by his parents to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist at an early age. By age 17, he had become a monk, and not long after, moved to Athens to serve as the deacon of this church in the Plaka area.
After an altercation with an Ottoman Pasha, he was forced to flee into the mountains and become a Klepht. He was then given the nickname “Diakos,” or Deacon. Diakos led a group of Klephts during the Greek War of Independence, achieving many victories before eventually being captured and martyred by impalement.
The church was originally constructed in the 1600s in a single-nave, barrel-vaulted style and was dedicated to Saint Demetrios. It has been expanded twice since, with one of the expansions being funded by the wealthy Benizelos family.
There is a marble plaque in the front courtyard memorializing Diakos. Another features an owl with a cross on its head designed to recognize the Benizelos family.
