Life of the Method

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Cyril and Method, wall painting in the Trojan Monastery in Bulgaria

The life of Method is a saint's vita or a biographical writing about the life of St. Method and about his work in Greater Moravia . The writing of great literary and historical importance is one of the oldest evidence in the Old Church Slavonic language .

There is a similar, longer saint's vita about his brother Kyrill , the life of Constantine . Both vites are collectively referred to as Pannonian legends because of the earlier assumption that they were written in Pannonia by the students of the two Slav apostles .

Author and dating

The Life of Methodius probably originated in Great Moravia at the end of the 9th century, shortly after Methods death. The reasons for this early date of origin are given. There is no report about the expulsion of Konstantins and Method's students (which happened immediately after Method's death) and about the end of the Slavic liturgy and the Moravian prince Svatopluk is portrayed positively. The existence of the Moravian Slavic Church is still assumed, the author hopes that it can continue to exist under Svatopluk's protection. Another reason given is that the author had numerous written sources available that would no longer be accessible to that extent after the expulsion. The struggles between the Slavic and Latin parts of the Moravian Church are more clearly expressed in the life of Method than in the life of Constantine, which was written a few years earlier . That is why this writing has stronger apologetic traits.

The author is a student of Constantine and Method, possibly Gorazd or Kliment . But there is also the opinion that both Pannonian legends were written by the students of the Slav apostles only after their expulsion from Moravia in Pannonia or Bulgaria in the 10th century.

Manuscripts and publications

From the life of the Method . Cyrillic manuscript from the 12th to 13th centuries in the collection of the Uspensky Cathedral in Moscow.

16 manuscripts from the life of Method have survived . The oldest manuscript dates from the 12th to 13th centuries and is in the collection of the Uspensky Cathedral in Moscow .

The two Pannonian legends have often been edited, translated and commented on. The oldest edition comes from PJ Šafařík (1851). J. Perwolf published it in 1873 in the first volume of Prameny dějin českých (“Sources of Czech History”) together with a Czech translation. The last critical editions of the text are by Lavrov (1930) and Grivec - Tomšič (1960). Dvorník published a historical commentary with a French translation of both legends in 1933. Vavřínek published a historical commentary and extensive bibliography in 1963.

The history of the Method's life is largely believed to be credible.

construction

The work is not a typical hagiographic legend, rather it is written in the style of a biography . Compared to the life of Constantine , it is more sober and factual and contains no accounts of miracles. The life of Method is shorter than the life of Constantine and is stylistically not as mature.

The Life of the Method is an apologetic writing. She wants to defend the life's work of the holy Method and with it the existence of the Slavic Church in Moravia against the attacks of the Frankish bishops. It contains sharp polemics against Method's opponents from the ranks of the Franconian clergy. The biographer accepts the papal primacy, he describes Method as a missionary who acts on behalf of the Roman Pope: the Pope approves the Slavic liturgy, he ordains Method's pupils as priests, he consecrates Method as bishop of the Pannonian Diocese, he orders the liberation of Methods from the Bavarian prison and sentenced Methods opponent.

The author quotes from a variety of written sources in order to prove the credibility of his statements: from the letter from Rastislav to the emperor in Byzantium (chapter 5), from the letter from Pope Hadrian II to Kocel (chapter 8), from the papal bull Gloria in Excelsis Deo (the text is reproduced almost completely in chap. 8), from the papal letter to the Bavarian bishops and the letter from Svatopluk to Pope John VIII (chap. 10), and from the invitation of the Byzantine Kaisers to Method (chap. 13).

content

"LIFE OF ST. METHOD
In the month of May, the 6th day.
The memory and life of our holy teacher Method, the Moravian Archbishop. "

- Life of the Method - heading
The prologue is a theological treatise on the Trinity and on the creation of the world and man. In a long series, important figures from the Old Testament and the first church that God sent to man as role models are listed. Method joins this series. The prologue may have a different author than the rest of the scriptures.
  • Cape. 2 - 4
Method is used because of his outstanding wisdom and noble descent from the emperor as administrator of the "Slavic principality". He leaves this office and enters a monastery on Mount Olympus. Then he is sent to the Khazars as a helper by Constantine . On his return, the emperor appointed him abbot of the Polychron monastery.
Arrival of the Slav apostles in Velehrad, Moravia
  • Cape. 5 - 7
Rastislav, Prince of Moravia , asks the Byzantine Emperor to send him someone who can instruct his people in the Christian faith:

“We are, thank God, healthy. Many Christian teachers have come to us from Wallachia, Greece and Germany, but they have taught us differently. We Slavs are a simple people and have no one to teach us the truth and explain its meaning to us. So send us, exalted Lord, such a man who will lead us into all righteousness. Then Emperor Michael said to the philosopher Constantine: “Do you hear what they say, philosopher? Nobody else can do it, only you. Here you have rich gifts, take your brother Method and run. You are both from Thessaloniki and all Thessalonians speak pure Slavic. ""

- from chap. 5 - Letter from Rastislav to the Byzantine Emperor, sending from Constantine and Method to Moravia
The two stayed in Moravia for 3 years and then traveled to Rome . Pope Hadrian consecrates the Slavic books and consecrates Method a priest. Constantine sees his death coming and asks Method to continue their work together in Moravia and not to return to the monastery ("on the mountain"):

“See, brother, we were a team and we dug a furrow, I'm ending my day and going to rest. You love the mountain very much, but don't leave the teaching because of it. What else can you be redeemed with? "

- from chap. 7th
  • Cape. 8th
Two letters from Hadrian are cited here, which were of great importance for the Slavic Church in Moravia in its dispute with the Frankish clergy.
In the first letter, addressed to Kocel, Method is used as the papal envoy and teacher for the Slavic countries.
The second letter - the papal bull Gloria in Excelsis Deo - is addressed to Kocel, Rostislav and Svatopluk, and is reproduced almost in full. Hadrian says in this letter that he has tested Method's faith and is sending it back to Moravia to teach and translate books into the Slavic language. In the mass, however, the gospel should first be read in Latin and then in Slavonic. Anyone who opposes the Method should be excommunicated. Pope consecrates Method bishop of the diocese of Pannonia.
Translation and typing under the direction of Method, Radziwiłł Chronicle from the 13th century.
  • Cape. 9-13
Method defends himself against allegations by the Bavarian bishops and King Ludwig the German . He was held in "Swabia" as a prisoner of the king for three and a half years until he was freed again on the orders of Pope John . At the invitation of the Byzantine emperor, he travels to Constantinople, where he is received with great honor.
  • Cape. 14-16
Method completes the Bible translation:

“He chose two priests from his students, capable quick writers, and soon translated all the books of Scripture, except Maccabees, from Greek into Slavic in eight months [...] For earlier, with the philosopher, he only translated the Gospels and the Apostles, plus the Nomocanon, these are the rules of the law and the writings of the fathers. "

- from chap. 16
  • Cape. 17th
Method names Goradz as his successor and dies.

“He died in the arms of the priests on the sixth day of March, in the third indiction , in 6393 since the creation of the world. His students [...] buried him in the cathedral. "

- from chap. 17th

Remarks

  1. ↑ day of death
  2. ↑ a b c d e Translation into German based on the Czech text in: Josef Vašica: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863–885 (= literary monuments of the Great Moravian era 863–885) . Vyšehrad, Prague 1996, ISBN 80-7021-169-5 , p. 277-288 (Czech, 340 pp.).
  3. ^ Byzantine province on the Strymont river, north of Thessaloniki , mostly inhabited by Slavs .
  4. ↑ on Mount Mysian Olympus, Uludağ in today's Turkey.
  5. ↑ The text of the papal bull has only come down to us in Old Church Slavonic translations. In chap. 8 of the life of Method , and then in a slightly different wording in the legend of praise to St. Cyril and Method . The original Latin text of the bull has been lost. See Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963, p. 41 Note 132 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume). Latin translation of the legend of Praise to St. Cyril and Method in: Grivec, Franc: Sermo panegyricus in memoriam ss. Cyrilli et Methodii . In: Acta Academiae Velehradensis . No.
     18 , 1947, p. 1-25 (Latin).
  6. ↑ Probably in Ellwangen Abbey . See comment on chap. 9 in: Vašica, Josef: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863 - 885 . Vyšehrad, Prague 1996, ISBN 80-7021-169-5 , p. 294 (Czech, 340 pp.).
  7. ↑ That is, on March 6, 885, based on the traditional creation date 5508 BC. Chr.
  8. ↑ Despite intensive research, his grave was not found. See comment on chap. 17 in: Josef Vašica: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863 - 885 . Vyšehrad, Prague 1996, ISBN 80-7021-169-5 , p. 301-302 (Czech, 340 pp.).

literature

  • Johannes Karayannopulos; Günter Weiß: Source studies on the history of Byzantium (324–1453) Wiesbaden 1982, ISBN 3-447-02244-2 , pp. 348–349 No. 221.
  • Josef Bujnoch: Between Rome and Byzantium: Life and work of the Slavic apostles Cyrillos and Methodios according to the Pannonian legends and the Klemensvita: Report of the baptism of Russia according to the Laurentius Chronicle. Styria, Graz – Vienna – Cologne, 2 1972 (Slavic historians, 1).
  • Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje (= Old Church Slavonic life of Constantine and Method) . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume).
  • Josef Vašica: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863–885 (= literary monuments of the Great Moravian epoch 863-885) . Vyšehrad, Prague 1996, ISBN 80-7021-169-5 (Czech, 340 pages).
  • Radoslav Večerka: Staroslověnská etapa českého písemnictví (= Old Church Slavonic stage of Czech literature) . Nakladatelství Lidové Noviny, Prague 2010, ISBN 978-80-7422-044-9 (Czech, 176 pages).
  • Francis Dvorník : Byzantine Mission among the Slavs: SS. Constantine-Cyril and Methodius . Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick / New Jersey 1970, ISBN 0-8135-0613-1 (English, 484 pages).
  • Francis Dvorník: Les legends de Constantin et de Méthode vues de Byzance . Orbis, Prague 1933 (French, 443 pages).
  • PA Lavrov: Materialy po istorii vozniknovenija drevnejšej slavjanskoj pismennosti (= materials on the genesis of the oldest Slavic literature) . Akademija Nauk SSSR, Leningrad 1930, p. 1–78 , Life of Constantine [1–66]; Life of the Method [67–78] (Russian, 200 pp.).
  • F. Grivec, F. Tomšič: Konstantin i Methodije Solunjani, Izvori; Constantinus et Methodius Thessalonicenses, Fontes. Radovi Staroslovenskog Instituta, knjiga 4. Zagreb 1960. (Serbo-Croatian, Church Slavonic)
  • Oldřich Králík: Nejstarší rodokmen české literatury. Československý spisovatel, Praha 1971, p. 56 f.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963, p. 85–86, 88 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume).
  2. ^ Josef Vašica: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863 - 885 . Vyšehrad, Prague 1996, ISBN 80-7021-169-5 , p. 102-104 (Czech, 340 pp.).
  3. ↑ a b Radoslav Večerka: Staroslověnská etapa českého písemnictví . Nakladatelství Lidové Noviny, Prague 2010, ISBN 978-80-7422-044-9 , p. 71-72 (Czech, 176 pp.).
  4. ↑ a b Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963, p. 3–9 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume).
  5. ^ Josef Vašica: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863 - 885 . Vyšehrad, Prague 1996, ISBN 80-7021-169-5 , p. 95 (Czech, 340 pp.).
  6. ↑ PA Lavrov: Materialy po istorii vozniknovenija drevnejšej slavjanskoj pismennosti (= materials on the genesis of the oldest Slavic literature) . Akademija Nauk SSSR, Leningrad 1930, p. 1–78 , Life of Constantine [1–66]; Life of the Method [67–78] (Russian, 200 pp.).
  7. ↑ Grivec F. - Tomšič F .: Konstantin i Methodije Solunjani, Izvori; Constantinus et Methodius Thessalonicenses, Fontes . Radovi Staroslovenskog Instituta, knjiga 4. Zagreb 1960. (Serbo-Croatian, Church Slavonic)
  8. ^ Dvorník, Francis: Les legends de Constantin et de Méthode vues de Byzance . Orbis, Prague 1933 (French, 443 pages).
  9. ↑ Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume).
  10. ↑ Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963, p. 53 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume).
  11. ↑ a b Vladimír Vavřínek: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje . In: Rozpravy Československé Akademie Věd . Nakladatelství Československé Akademie Věd (NČSAV), Prague 1963, p. 104-108 (Czech, 123 p., With French resume).

Web links

  • Život sv. Methoda (Life of St. Method) . In: Josef Emler (ed.): Fontes rerum Bohemicarum I: Vitae Sanctorum et aliorum quorundam pietate insignium. Chapter: Life of St. Method (Pannonian legend) . Prague 1873, p. 39–52 ( online [accessed June 3, 2020] in Cyrillic and Czech).
  • Život sv. Metoděje (Life of St. Method) . (Czech, moraviamagna [accessed January 25, 2017] with notes by Josef Vašica, 1966).