Mount Athos weathered lithography (icon) of Saint Elesa in pine wood with carved decoration.

Saint Elesa came from the Peloponnese. Her parents were Eugenia, a God-fearing Christian and Elladios, a wealthy Greek pagan. Her mother raised her according to the requirements of Christianity. At the age of 14 she was orphaned by her mother and indulged in innumerable benefits to the poor.

When her father decided to marry her to a pagan, Elesa refused and fled to Kythira after first distributing all her belongings to the poor. As soon as Elladios was informed of this fact, he traveled to Kythira to find her and persuade her. The Saint refused to return to her paternal home and as a result her father tortured her in a horrible way and finally beheaded her on August 1, 375 AD.

Saint Elesa is considered the patron saint of Kythira. Her memory is honored by the Orthodox Christian Church on August 1 of each year.