Constantine of Preslaw

The Bulgarian ruler Boris I. Michael . Miniature from the teaching gospel (around 893–894 in Preslaw) by Konstantin von Preslaw. Russian copy from the 12th century. Moscow State Historical Museum

Alphabetical prayer foreword to the teaching gospel (around 893–894 in Preslaw) by Konstantin von Preslaw. Russian copy from the 12th century. Moscow State History Museum

Konstantin von Preslaw (middle 9th - beginning 10th century), or Konstantin Preslawski ( Bulgarian Константин Преславски ) is a medieval theologian , clergyman, compiler , translator , poet , author and scholar. Konstantin von Preslav is one of the most important representatives of the Preslav school and one of the most outstanding figures of Bulgarian culture.

Life

Little information is available about the life of Konstantin von Preslaw. However, there is evidence that he was a student of Kyrill's brother Method . However, there are various theses about how he got to Bulgaria. One of these theses assumes that he supported Saint Method on his mission in the Great Moravian Empire and, after his death in 885, had to flee together with the other students in order to finally get to Bulgaria via Venice and Constantinople . Another thesis assumes that Constantine fell out of favor after Method's death and then fell into slavery. During this time it is said to have been sold in Venice and was later bought from the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople in order to then get to Bulgaria. Other researchers, on the other hand, argue that he was left behind by Method in Constantinople and only later came to the court of the Bulgarian King Boris I. Michael in Pliska . After his son Simeon I moved the Academy of Pliska founded by Boris to the new capital Preslaw , Constantine was appointed bishop of Preslaw in 893 (Bulgarian епископ; ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος epískopos, overseer, guardian, protector ').

Works

Konstantin von Preslaw is the author of many old Bulgarian texts. However, only a few have survived the time, handed down through later copies, the first of which since the 12th to 13th centuries, including:

Teaching gospel

The most important work of Constantine von Preslav is the instructive gospel (bulg. Учително евангелие), one of the highlights of the so-called Golden Age of Bulgarian culture, written in the period around 893-894 in Preslav.

This work by Constantine is an instructive interpretation of the Gospel, consisting of 51 Sunday homilies for various church feasts , which are mainly based on the sermon addresses of John Chrysostom , on some quotations from Cyril of Alexandria as well as his own sentences ( e.g. speech 42) . The Doctrinal Gospel consists of three parts: Alphabetical prayer (Bulgarian "Азбучна молитва"); Istorikii ( Bulgar . "Историкии"; German. Chronicle); Church story (Bulgarian "„рковно сказание").

Despite the compilative nature of this work, the teaching gospel, in particular its preface - the alphabetical prayer - is of great importance for Bulgarian literature and culture, as it is the first systematic work in a Slavic language (or in Bulgarian ). On the other hand, the creation of Constantine is considered to be the oldest script using Cyrillic . Because, regardless of the widespread opinion that connects Cyrillic with Russia , the alphabet did not originate in Russia, nor is it invented by Saint Constantine-Cyril , who, as is well known, invented the Glagolian script . It is controversial whether one of his pupils - Clemens von Ohrid - is the author of Cyrillic or whether he only reformed Glagolian. On the other hand, it has been proven that the Cyrillic alphabet originated at the court of the Bulgarian kings in Preslaw in the 10th century and was first disseminated by Constantine of Preslaw. It cannot be clearly established whether Constantine invented the new script.

The work is preserved in a Russian copy from the 12th century, today kept in the Moscow State Historical Museum .

Four speeches against the Arians

In 906 Constantine von Preslaw translated the four Athanasios speeches against the Arians (Greek λόγοι κατά Αρειανών; speeches against the Arians) into Bulgarian. In his translation it is stated literally that the translation was carried out by order of our Prince Simeon in the year 6414 (906 AD). This date firmly dates the work of Constantine and is also considered the only fixed point in his life.

Preface to the Gospels

Regarding the authorship of the work Preface to the Gospel (Bulgarian "Проглас към Евангелието") the research is divided into two parts. Some scholars attribute the scripture to Constantine of Preslav, others to Saint Constantine-Cyril . The “Foreword to the Gospel” is very close to the “Alphabetical Prayer” in terms of content and composition. Among other things, the text deals with the need to use one's own language in the liturgy instead of the sacred language Greek, which is incomprehensible to ordinary people. The work is dated to the 2nd half of the 9th century.

Other works

• Translation of the work Historia Ecclesiastica (Bulgar. Черковно сказание; German. Church history) by the Byzantine Patriarch Germanos I of Constantinople (* 650/660 ?; † after 730)
• Office for Method (bulg.Служба на Методий), in whose canon the name of Constantine is incorporated into acrostic .
• Stichera cycle in the solemn Minaion (bulg.Цикъл стихири в празничен миней); (Gr. the Sticheron / Pl. Stichera rhythm of Byzantine hymns; Menäon - the orthodox liturgical monthly book), which relates to the preparation for the Epiphany ( theophany - appearance of God).

Honor

Today the university of the nearby city of Shumen is named Konstantins Bishop-Konstantin-Preslavski University of Shumen, as well as several school institutions across the country.

literature

• J. Hahn: Konstantin Preslavski . In: Biographical Lexicon on the History of Southeast Europe . Volume 2. Munich 1976, p. 468
• Gerhard Podskalsky : Theological literature of the Middle Ages in Bulgaria and Serbia 865-1459 . CH Beck, Munich 2000
• Eleonora Gallucci: Ucitel'noe Evangelie di Costantino di Preslav (IX-X sec.). Tradizione testuale, redazioni, fonti greche . In: Europa Orientalis , XX (2001), pp. 49–138 ( PDF )
• Eduard Bayer, Dietmar Endler: Bulgarian literature at a glance . Reclam, Leipzig 1983.
• Nikolai Prodanov (Николай Проданов): Проблеми на историческата текстология. Върху материал от българската историопис VII – ХХ век . Veliko Tarnowo 2006, pp. 30–34
• Vasya Velinova (Вася Велинова): Слово за епископ Константин Преславски , Sofia, 1998