was often the target of Turkish raids. Joachim repeatedly supervised the defense of the monastery but it was finally sacked by Ibrahim Pasha, the leader of the Egyptian troops until 1825. All those who had resisted were massacred or sent as slaves to Egypt but Joachim and a famed eldress were taken prisoner. Both Joachim and the nun were publicly invited by Ibrahim to become Muslims. The Egyptians believed that they had led the resistance and realized that their apostasy would dishearten the Greek fighters. When they refused they were beaten and then subjected to various tortures. The elderly nun was actually tortured to death but Joachim exhausted the prison guards, he with-stood the most refined torments that they could think up. This was reported to Ibrahim who decided that the monk was obviously a holy man and should be set free. Undaunted, Joachim gave himself no time to recover from his experiences in the Ottoman prisons. He returned to the mountain strongholds and the refuges where countless women, children and old people were in hiding. He urged them to keep the faith and prophesied better times to come. Joachim helped many families escape to the Ionian Islands and found shelter for them with Christian families there. He worked as a Captain ferrying refugees from Greece to the islands and supplies back to the fighters. One night he managed to rescue a group of women and children the very moment the Turks had surrounded them, miraculously they all escaped unscathed. After the Greeks had secured the Peloponnese, Joachim retired to Ithaca. He was unwell and sick of the horrors of war. For 5 years he lived as a hermit in the forest of Afentikos Loggos. Later he began to receive visitors, to give advice and to organize relief for the poor. At one point he was summoned to see the British Governor of the island and accused of sedition. The authorities first threatened to expel the hermit but the Governor was impressed by Joachim and gave him permission to preach wherever he pleased. Joachim then moved to St. Nikolaos Mavronas Monastery, from there he toured the island and spoke to the multitudes that gathered around him. He founded many churches and a monastery dedicated to St. Barbara at Stavros. Many miracles were attributed to Joachim; he is believed to have healed the sick and to have accurately foretold future events.