The Greek Passion

Christ Recrucified (Ο Χριστός Ξανασταυρώνεται, 'Christ is Recrucified') is a 1954 novel by Nikos Kazantzakis.

The story concerns the attempts of a Greek village community to stage a Passion Play - which, as the title suggests, ends up with their in effect re-enacting the events of Jesus Christ's trial, suffering and death. It takes place in a Greek village, Lycovrisi (Wolf-spring), under Ottoman rule.

The village holds Passion Plays every seven years and the elders of the village choose the actors from among the villagers. Manolios, who is chosen to play the role of Christ, is a humble shepherd boy who was once a novice in a monastery. Yannakkos becomes Apostle Peter. He is a merchant-peddler who travels with his donkey through the villages and sells his items. He is warm-hearted, naïve and loves his donkey above all else. Michelis, the son of the wealthy nobleman old Patriarcheas, becomes Apostle John. Kostandis, the owner of the village café, is Apostle James the Great. He is good-hearted, willing to share, but confused. Then comes Panayotaros, who is chosen to be Judas. He is a wild, passionate man, waiting for revenge. The widow Katerina is Mary Magdalene. She is the village's prostitute. She is beautiful, but of course an outsider in the village, not caring about anybody's opinion. But she is the most generous one and in the end gives her life for what she believes in.

Then the Elders of Lycovrissi are introduced. There is the Priest Grigoris — a domineering man who bends God's will to his own. Archon Patriarcheas is the leader of the village. He only lives for his own pleasure. Old Ladas is a miser who is obsessed with his money but lives in poverty so that he doesn't have to spend any of it. Hadji Nikolis is the schoolmaster, who means well but is ineffectual, haunted by fear of his brother the priest.

The whole story is made colorful by the Turkish household consisting of The Agha, the Lord of Lycovrissi. He lives surrounded by his Oriental splendor, drinks himself crazy and enjoys rakı and pretty boys. Hussein is the guard, a giant Oriental who does everything his master asks of him.

...
Wikipedia