Mihail Nikoloff
Medieval Bulgarian Border Patrol
š The Responses of Pope Nicholas I to the Questions of the Bulgars A.D. 866 (Letter 99):
š§š¬ Since the 6th century, the Bulgars had known intermittent contact with the Christians of the surrounding nations, whether as merchants or prisoners-of-war or through diplomatic relations. The Bulgars continued to remain "officially" pagan until the reign of Boris I, who came to power around 852.
āļø Several factors may have led Boris to assume a more favorable attitude towards Christianity. First, Christianity offered a belief-system that transcended ā at least potentially ā cultural or ethnic boundaries and thereby offered a means not only to unify Bulgaria's realm but also to secure legitimacy and respect with Byzantium and the West. The ideology of Christian rulership also enhanced the position of the prince vis-Ć -vis his subjects, including the often rebellious boyars. Furthermore, Boris' sister Ana had converted to Christianity while being a hostage in Constantinople and may have influenced her brother. Finally, Boris himself seems to have been attracted to Christian beliefs and practices, as evidenced by the seriousness with which he pursued the conversion of his people.
š Patriarch Photius I (815-893) sent a letter in which he instructed Boris on the basic tenets of Orthodoxy and exhorted him to adhere to the principles of Christian rulership. Greek missionaries were sent to Bulgaria to speed the process of conversion but within a year, Boris sought to distance himself from the patriarch in Constantinople and sent a legation to Rome to open negotiations with Pope Nicholas I (858-67) about Bulgaria's movement into the Roman sphere of influence. Letter 99, sent back to Bulgaria with Bishops Formosus of Porto and Paul of Populonia as well as a collection of books and liturgical equipment, records the pope's response to the Bulgarians' questions. This letter offer an undistorted look at the problems that the Bulgarians themselves thought Christianization posed to their culture and the specific aspects of their new faith about which they were curious. It is a priceless document for the study of the process of Christianization in the early Middle Ages.
Links: www.pravoslavieto.com/history/09/866_responce_pope_Nichol...
Links: origin-rh.web.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/866nicholas-bulga...
#bulgaria #rome #byzantium #constantinople #pope #nicholas #orthodoxy #catholics #catholicism #christianization #bulgars #bulgarians #slavs #greeks #romans #middleages #europe #christianity #bg
Medieval Bulgarian Border Patrol
š The Responses of Pope Nicholas I to the Questions of the Bulgars A.D. 866 (Letter 99):
š§š¬ Since the 6th century, the Bulgars had known intermittent contact with the Christians of the surrounding nations, whether as merchants or prisoners-of-war or through diplomatic relations. The Bulgars continued to remain "officially" pagan until the reign of Boris I, who came to power around 852.
āļø Several factors may have led Boris to assume a more favorable attitude towards Christianity. First, Christianity offered a belief-system that transcended ā at least potentially ā cultural or ethnic boundaries and thereby offered a means not only to unify Bulgaria's realm but also to secure legitimacy and respect with Byzantium and the West. The ideology of Christian rulership also enhanced the position of the prince vis-Ć -vis his subjects, including the often rebellious boyars. Furthermore, Boris' sister Ana had converted to Christianity while being a hostage in Constantinople and may have influenced her brother. Finally, Boris himself seems to have been attracted to Christian beliefs and practices, as evidenced by the seriousness with which he pursued the conversion of his people.
š Patriarch Photius I (815-893) sent a letter in which he instructed Boris on the basic tenets of Orthodoxy and exhorted him to adhere to the principles of Christian rulership. Greek missionaries were sent to Bulgaria to speed the process of conversion but within a year, Boris sought to distance himself from the patriarch in Constantinople and sent a legation to Rome to open negotiations with Pope Nicholas I (858-67) about Bulgaria's movement into the Roman sphere of influence. Letter 99, sent back to Bulgaria with Bishops Formosus of Porto and Paul of Populonia as well as a collection of books and liturgical equipment, records the pope's response to the Bulgarians' questions. This letter offer an undistorted look at the problems that the Bulgarians themselves thought Christianization posed to their culture and the specific aspects of their new faith about which they were curious. It is a priceless document for the study of the process of Christianization in the early Middle Ages.
Links: www.pravoslavieto.com/history/09/866_responce_pope_Nichol...
Links: origin-rh.web.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/866nicholas-bulga...
#bulgaria #rome #byzantium #constantinople #pope #nicholas #orthodoxy #catholics #catholicism #christianization #bulgars #bulgarians #slavs #greeks #romans #middleages #europe #christianity #bg