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The '''Metropolis of Larissa and Tyrnavos''' ({{langx|el|Ιερά Μητρόπολις Λαρίσης και Τυρνάβου}}) is a [[Greek Orthodox]] [[metropolitan see]] in [[Thessaly]], [[Greece]].<ref>[http://www.ecclesia.gr/English/EnDioceses/Larisa.html   Holy Metropolis of Larisa and Tyrnavos Website].</ref>

== History ==
Christianity penetrated early to [[Larissa]], though its first bishop is recorded only in 325 at the [[First Council of Nicaea|Council of Nicaea]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Catholic Encyclopedia|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09004b.htm|website=Catholic Encyclopedia|access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref> [[Achillius of Larissa|Saint Achillius of Larissa]], of the 4th century, is celebrated for numerous [[miracle]]s.

[[Michel Le Quien]] cites twenty-nine bishops from the 4th to the 18th centuries.<ref name="Le Quien">{{Oriens Christianus|volume=2|article=Ecclesia Larissæ|at=cols. 103–112}}</ref>

In the [[Ecumenical Council of Ephesus]] in 431, the Bishop of Larissa is already mentioned as [[metropolitan bishop]] of Thessaly, and some of his [[Suffragan diocese|suffragans]] who participated in the council were the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Pharsalus|bishops of Pharsalus]], [[Lamia (city)|Lamia]], [[Thessalian Thebes]], [[Echinos]], Hypate ([[Ypati]]), Kaisareia, and [[Demetrias]].{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=81}} Some time between 730 and 751, the Church in Thessaly, along with the rest of the [[Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum|Illyricum]], were transferred from the jurisdiction of the [[Pope]] in [[Rome]] to that of the [[Patriarch of Constantinople]].{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=58}} Bishop Vigilantius attended the [[Council of Chalcedon]].<ref>Richard Price, Michael Gaddis,
The Acts of the [[Council of Chalcedon]], Volume 1(Liverpool University Press, 2005) p260.& [https://books.google.com/books?id=6IUaOOT1G3UC&q=Larissa&pg=RA2-PA157 281].</ref>

In the middle Byzantine period, the ''[[Notitiae Episcopatuum]]'' show Larissa with ten suffragan sees; these were in order Demetrias, Pharsalus, [[Thaumakos]], Zetouni (Lamia), [[Ezeros (Thessaly)|Ezeros]], [[Loidoriki]], [[Trikke]], [[Echinus (Phthiotis)|Echinus]], [[Kolydros]], and [[Stagoi]].<ref>[[Heinrich Gelzer]], "Ungedruckte. . .Texte der Notitiae episcopatuum", Munich, 1900, 557.</ref>{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=82}} Before the turn of the 10th century, Larissa also controlled [[Neopatras]] and the [[Spercheios]] valley, but sometime before 900 it was raised to a separate metropolis, while Pharsalus was likewise raised before 900 to the rank of an autonomous archbishopric.{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=82}} In ca. 1020, Stagoi was ceded for a time to the [[Orthodox Archbishopric of Ohrid (ancient)|Archbishopric of Ohrid]].{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=83}}

Subsequently, the number of suffragans increased and about the year 1175 under the Emperor [[Manuel I Comnenus]], it reached twenty-eight.<ref>[[Parthey]], ''[[Hieroclis Synecdemus]]'', Berlin, 1866, 120.</ref>

Following the [[Fourth Crusade]] and Thessaly's incorporation into the [[Kingdom of Thessalonica]], a [[Latin Archbishop of Larissa|Roman Catholic archbishop]] was installed in the place of the previous [[Greek Orthodox]] metropolitan.{{sfn|Nicol|2010|p=36}} The city was soon recovered by the Greek [[Despotate of Epirus]], however, possibly as early as 1212, and the Greek Orthodox metropolitan restored.{{sfn|Nicol|2010|p=41}} At the close of the 15th century, under the Turkish domination, there were only ten suffragan sees,<ref>Gelzer, op. cit., 635.</ref> which gradually grew less and finally disappeared.

In 1881, Thessaly [[Convention of Constantinople (1881)|was ceded]] to Greece. In 1900, the see of [[Farsala]] and [[Platamon]] was united with Larissa, which became the Metropolis of Larissa and Platamon.  Since the 1970s, the see has borne its current title.

==Known bishops==
[[file:Hosios Loukas (diakonikon, arch) - Achillios.jpg|thumb|right|St. Achillius.]]
[[file:Metropolitan Bishop of Larisa Ignatios.JPG|thumb|The late Metropolitan of Larisa, Ignatios.]]

*St. [[Achillius of Larissa]], first archbishop and [[patron saint]] of [[Larisa]] c. 4th century<ref>Heinrich Gelzer , [[Patrum Nicaenorum nomina]] Latine, Graece, Coptice, Syriace, Arabice, Armeniace: adiecta est tabula geographica(In aedibus B.G. Teubneri, 1995)  p242.</ref>
* Julian of Larissa, attended the [[Council of Ephesus]].
*Jeremias II ?–733
* Thomas, Metropolitan of Larissa 1264{{sfn|PLP|loc=7786. Θωμᾶς}}
* Nikandros, Metropolitan of Larissa 1278–83{{sfn|PLP|loc=20249. Νίκανδρος}}
* Kyprianos, Metropolitan of Larissa 1318–?{{sfn|PLP|loc=13926. Κυπριανός}}
* [[Antony of Larissa|Antony]], Metropolitan of Larissa 1340–62{{sfn|PLP|loc=1098. Ἀντώνιος}}
* Neilos, Metropolitan of Larissa 1371–88{{sfn|PLP|loc=20043. Νεῖλος}}
* Joasaph, Metropolitan of Larissa 1392/3{{sfn|PLP|loc=8915. Ἰωάσαφ}}
* [[Saint|St]]. [[Bessarion II of Larissa|Bessarion II]], Bishop of Larissa 1526/7–40
* [[Neophytus II of Larissa|Neophytus II]], Bishop of Larissa 1550–68
* Patriarch [[Jeremias II of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa ca. 1568–72
* Patriarch [[Metrophanes III of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa ca. 1572
* [[Dionysius the Philosopher]], Bishop of Larissa 1592–1611<ref>[https://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=el&u=http://84.205.233.9/en/thriskeutika-mnhmeia/iera-mhtropolhs-larishs-kai-turnavou&prev=search  The Holy Metropolis of Larissa and Tirnavos The Holy Metropolis of Larissa and Tirnavos].</ref> 
* Patriarch [[Paisius I of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa ?–1652
* Patriarch [[Dionysius III of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa 1652–62
* Patriarch [[Dionysius IV of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa 1662–71
* Patriarch [[James of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa ?–1679
* Iakovos II 1734–1749 
* Patriarch [[Meletius II of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa 1750–68
* [[Polykarpos Bithikoukis]], Metropolitan of Larissa 1811–18
* [[Polykarpos Bithikoukis]], Metropolitan of Larissa 1820–21
* St. Dionysios VII Kalliarchis, 1821 
* Patriarch [[Anthimus IV of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa 1835–37
* Patriarch [[Joachim IV of Constantinople]], Bishop of Larissa 1870–75 
* Archbishop [[Dorotheus of Athens]], Bishop of Larissa and Tyrnavos 1935–56
* [[Demetrios Bekiaris]] 1989–91 
* [[Ignatios Lappas]] 1994–June 26, 2018 (died in office)<ref>[http://www.ecclesia.gr/English/EnDioceses/Larisa.html   Holy Metropolis of Larisa and Tyrnavos Website].</ref><ref name=kathimerini>{{cite news|title=Εκοιμήθη ο μητροπολίτης Λαρίσης και Τυρνάβου, Ιγνάτιος |url=http://www.kathimerini.gr/971574/article/epikairothta/ellada/ekoimh8h-o-mhtropoliths-larishs-kai-tyrnavoy-ignatios |work=[[Kathimerini]] |date=2018-06-26 |access-date=2018-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627230914/http://www.kathimerini.gr/971574/article/epikairothta/ellada/ekoimh8h-o-mhtropoliths-larishs-kai-tyrnavoy-ignatios |archive-date=2018-06-27 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Hieronymus Nikolopoulos]] since 2018

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* {{Tabula Imperii Byzantini | volume = 1}}
* {{cite book | title=The Despotate of Epiros 1267–1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages | first=Donald MacGillivray | last=Nicol | authorlink=Donald Nicol | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-521-13089-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XIj0FfKto9AC }}
* {{Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit}}

==External links==
* [http://www.imlarisis.gr/ Official website] {{in lang|el}}

{{Dioceses of Greece}}

[[Category:Dioceses of the Church of Greece|Larissa]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodox dioceses in Greece|Larissa]]
[[Category:Thessaly]]