The Byzantine Commonwealth stands out in the annals of history as an indelible construct which exercised a profound influence on the preservation and continual reinvigoration of the Greek cultural heritage. Functioning as the custodian of ancient Greek legacies, it served as a bulwark against the tides of time and also facilitated the dissemination of these cultural elements to the burgeoning civilizations of the Medieval Age. As the ultimate bastion of the Hellenistic tradition, the Commonwealth evolved into a “crucible”, wherein profound Christian theological inquiries flourished, thus laying the groundwork for an authentically ecumenical Orthodoxy. This epochal transformation served as the cornerstone for the delineation of the spiritual and intellectual contours that came to define the Eastern world in its entirety. Hellenism served not only as a cultural foundation but also as a dynamic force in fostering national consciousness and resistance against conquering powers. In the end, the resilience of Byzantine culture contributed significantly to the formation of modern Neo-Hellenic/Neo-Byzantine identities, influencing contemporary sociopolitical movements and policies. This paper offers a review of key historical events and philosophical shifts which defined this long process and shaped the development of modern East European nations. It also highlights the complex interplay between historical heritage and modern national identity  

From the very beginning of the establishment of the Church, education and peda-gogy had beenat the epicenter of the thought of great theologians and Christian philosophers as anthropomorphic ideals, which civilization offers to societies in order to form complete and integrated personalities capable to understand the truth about life, the world,and their place in it. The Church Father’s knowledge is based on Divine Wisdom which they passed to the community of believers in proclamations, preaching, witnessing and which was also shared at the gathering of worshiping communities.

Οι Εθνομάρτυρες αποτελούν θεμελιακό στοιχείο της εθνικής ιδιοσυστασίας των νεωτερικών κρατών είτε αυτή υφίσταται ως συνέχεια μιας προ-εθνικής ταυτότητας είτε τυγχάνει αποτέλεσμα σύγχρονης εθνογένεσης. Στην παλαιά βυζαντινή ενδοχώρα, στα σκληρά Βαλκάνια και τη θεήλατο Ανατολή, ο Ελληνισμός συνεχίζει να ολοκληρώνεται μέσα στην Εκκλησία. Παράγει, δηλαδή, μία θεολογία γεγονότων εντός της οποίας ο Ιερομάρτυρας ταυτίζεται με τον Εθνομάρτυρα και βιώνεται η διαλεκτική σχέση μεταξύ αγωνιστή και αγίου. Καθώς η αρχαία Εκκλησία θεμελιώθηκε στο αίμα των Μαρτύρων έτσι και η Εκκλησία της Ελλάδος αναζήτησε τους οικείους Μάρτυρες, μέσω των οποίων θεμελίωσε τη θεολογία και την ταυτότητά της. Και τους αναζήτησε στον εξ αίματος ποταμό της ευσεβείας, το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο, εκ του οποίου συνεχώς εκχέεται το περιούσιο πλήθος Εθνομαρτύρων και Ιερομαρτύρων.