Кирилл и мефодий википедия для 4 класса краткий рассказ

Saints Cyril and Methodius
«Saints Cyril and Methodius holding the Cyrillic alphabet,» a mural by Bulgarian iconographer Z. Zograf, 1848, Troyan Monastery
Bishops and Confessors; Equals to the Apostles; Patrons of Europe; Apostles to the Slavs
Born	826 or 827 and 815 Thessalonica, Byzantine Empire (present-day Greece)
Died	14 February 869 and 6 April 885 Rome and Velehrad, Great Moravia
Venerated in	Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion[1] Lutheranism[2]
Feast	11 and 24 May[3] (Eastern Orthodox Church) 14 February (present Roman Catholic calendar); 5 July (Roman Catholic calendar 1880–1886); 7 July (Roman Catholic calendar 1887–1969) 5 July (Roman Catholic Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Attributes	brothers depicted together; Eastern bishops holding up a church; Eastern bishops holding an icon of the Last Judgment.[4] Often, Cyril is depicted wearing a monastic habit and Methodius vested as a bishop with omophorion.
Patronage	Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Transnistria, Serbia, Archdiocese of Ljubljana, Europe,[4] Slovak Eparchy of Toronto, Eparchy of Košice[5]

Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the «Apostles to the Slavs».^[6]

They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic.^[7] After their deaths, their pupils continued their missionary work among other Slavs. Both brothers are venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as saints with the title of «equal-to-apostles». In 1880, Pope Leo XIII introduced their feast into the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1980, the first Slav pope, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia.^[8]

Early career

Early life

The two brothers were born in Thessalonica, then located in the Byzantine province of the same name (today in Greece) – Cyril in about 827–828 and Methodius in about 815–820. According to the Vita Cyrilli («The Life of Cyril»), Cyril was reputedly the youngest of seven brothers; he was born Constantine,^[9] but was given the name Cyril upon becoming a monk in Rome shortly before his death.^[10][11][12] Methodius was born Michael and was given the name Methodius upon becoming a monk in Polychron Monastery at Mysian Olympus (present-day Uludağ in northwest Turkey).^[13] Their father was Leo, a droungarios of the Byzantine theme of Thessalonica, and their mother’s name was Maria.

The exact ethnic origins of the brothers are unknown, there is controversy as to whether Cyril and Methodius were of Slavic^[14] or Greek^[15] origin, or both.^[16] The two brothers lost their father when Cyril was fourteen, and the powerful minister Theoktistos, who was logothetes tou dromou, one of the chief ministers of the Empire, became their protector. He was also responsible, along with the regent Bardas, for initiating a far-reaching educational program within the Empire which culminated in the establishment of the University of Magnaura, where Cyril was to teach. Cyril was ordained as priest some time after his education, while his brother Methodius remained a deacon until 867/868.^[17]

Mission to the Khazars

About the year 860, Byzantine Emperor Michael III and the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius (a professor of Cyril’s at the University and his guiding light in earlier years), sent Cyril on a missionary expedition to the Khazars who had requested a scholar be sent to them who could converse with both Jews and Saracens.^[18] It has been claimed that Methodius accompanied Cyril on the mission to the Khazars, but this may be a later invention.^{[citation needed]} The account of his life presented in the Latin «Legenda» claims that he learned the Khazar language while in Chersonesos, in Taurica (today Crimea).

After his return to Constantinople, Cyril assumed the role of professor of philosophy at the University while his brother had by this time become a significant figure in Byzantine political and administrative affairs, and an abbot of his monastery.^{[citation needed]}

Mission to the Slavs

Great Moravia

In 862, the brothers began the work which would give them their historical importance. That year Prince Rastislav of Great Moravia requested that Emperor Michael III and the Patriarch Photius send missionaries to evangelize his Slavic subjects. His motives in doing so were probably more political than religious. Rastislav had become king with the support of the Frankish ruler Louis the German, but subsequently sought to assert his independence from the Franks. It is a common misconception that Cyril and Methodius were the first to bring Christianity to Moravia, but the letter from Rastislav to Michael III states clearly that Rastislav’s people «had already rejected paganism and adhere to the Christian law.»^[19] Rastislav is said to have expelled missionaries of the Roman Church and instead turned to Constantinople for ecclesiastical assistance and, presumably, a degree of political support.^[20] The Emperor quickly chose to send Cyril, accompanied by his brother Methodius.^[21] The request provided a convenient opportunity to expand Byzantine influence. Their first work seems to have been the training of assistants. In 863, they began the task of translating the Gospels and necessary liturgical books into the language now known as Old Church Slavonic^[22] and traveled to Great Moravia to promote it.^[23] They enjoyed considerable success in this endeavour. However, they came into conflict with German ecclesiastics who opposed their efforts to create a specifically Slavic liturgy.

For the purpose of this mission, they devised the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet to be used for Slavonic manuscripts. The Glagolitic alphabet was suited to match the specific features of the Slavic language. Its descendant script, the Cyrillic, is still used by many languages today.^[20]

The brothers wrote the first Slavic Civil Code, which was used in Great Moravia. The language derived from Old Church Slavonic, known as Church Slavonic, is still used in liturgy by several Orthodox Churches and also in some Eastern Catholic churches.

It is impossible to determine with certainty exactly what the brothers translated. The New Testament and the Psalms seem to have been the first, followed by other lessons from the Old Testament.^{[citation needed]} The «Translatio» speaks only of a version of the Gospels by Cyril, and the «Vita Methodii» only of the «evangelium Slovenicum,» though other liturgical selections may also have been translated.

Nor is it known for sure which liturgy, that of Rome or that of Constantinople, they took as a source. They may well have used the Roman alphabet, as suggested by liturgical fragments which adhere closely to the Latin type. This view is confirmed by the «Prague Fragments» and by certain Old Glagolitic liturgical fragments brought from Jerusalem to Kyiv and discovered there by Izmail Sreznevsky—probably the oldest document for the Slavonic tongue; these adhere closely to the Latin type, as is shown by the words «Mass,» «Preface,» and the name of one Felicitas. In any case, the circumstances were such that the brothers could hope for no permanent success without obtaining the authorization of Rome.

Journey to Rome

The mission of Constantine and Methodius had great success among Slavs in part because they used the people’s native language rather than Latin or Greek. In Great Moravia, Constantine and Methodius also encountered missionaries from East Francia, representing the western or Latin branch of the Church, and more particularly representing the Carolingian Empire as founded by Charlemagne, and committed to linguistic, and cultural uniformity. They insisted on the use of the Latin liturgy, and they regarded Moravia and the Slavic peoples as part of their rightful mission field.

When friction developed, the brothers, unwilling to be a cause of dissension among Christians, decided to travel to Rome to see the Pope, and seek a solution that would avoid quarreling between missionaries in the field. In 867, Pope Nicholas I (858-867) invited the brothers to Rome. Their evangelizing mission in Moravia had by this time become the focus of a dispute with Archbishop Adalwin of Salzburg (859–873) and Bishop Ermanrich of Passau (866-874), who claimed ecclesiastical control of the same territory and wished to see it use the Latin liturgy exclusively.

Travelling with the relics of Saint Clement and a retinue of disciples, and passing through Pannonia (the Balaton Principality), where they were well received by Prince Koceľ. This activity in Pannonia made a continuation of conflicts inevitable with the German episcopate, and especially with the bishop of Salzburg, to whose jurisdiction Pannonia had belonged for seventy-five years. As early as 865, Bishop Adalwin was found to exercise Episcopal rights there, and the administration under him was in the hands of the archpriest Riehbald. The latter was obliged to retire to Salzburg, but his superior was naturally disinclined to abandon his claims.

The brothers sought support from Rome, and arrived there in 868, where they were warmly received. This was partly due to their bringing with them the relics of Saint Clement; the rivalry with Constantinople as to the jurisdiction over the territory of the Slavs would incline Rome to value the brothers and their influence.^[20]

New Pope Adrian II (867-872) gave Methodius the title of Archbishop of Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia) and sent him back in 869, with jurisdiction over all of Moravia and Pannonia, and authorisation to use the Slavonic Liturgy.^[24] The brothers were praised for their learning and cultivated for their influence in Constantinople. Anastasius Bibliothecarius would later call Cyril «a man of apostolic life» and «a man of great wisdom».^[25] Their project in Moravia found support from Pope Adrian II, who formally authorized the use of the new Slavic liturgy. Subsequently, Methodius was ordained as priest by the pope himself, and five Slavic disciples were ordained as priests (Saint Gorazd, Saint Clement of Ohrid and Saint Naum) and as deacons (Saint Angelar and Saint Sava) by the prominent bishops Formosus and Gauderic.^[26] Cyril and Methodius along with these five disciples are collectively venerated (mainly by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church) as «Seven Saints».^[27] The newly made priests officiated in their own languages at the altars of some of the principal churches. Feeling his end approaching, Cyril became a Basilian monk, was given the new name Cyril,^[28] and died in Rome fifty days later (14 February 869). There is some question as to assertion of the Translatio (ix.) that he was made a bishop.

The statement of the «Vita» that Methodius was made bishop in 870 and not raised to the dignity of an archbishop until 873 is contradicted by the brief of Pope John VIII, written in June 879, according to which Adrian consecrated him archbishop; John includes in his jurisdiction not only Great Moravia and Pannonia, but Serbia as well.

Methodius alone

Methodius now continued the work among the Slavs alone; not at first in Great Moravia, but in Pannonia (in the Balaton Principality), owing to the political circumstances of the former country, where Rastislav had been taken captive by his nephew Svatopluk in 870, then delivered over to Carloman of Bavaria, and condemned in a diet held at Regensburg at the end of 870. At the same time, the East Frankish rulers and their bishops decided to remove Methodius. The archiepiscopal claims of Methodius were considered such an injury to the rights of Salzburg that he was captured and forced to answer to East Frankish bishops: Adalwin of Salzburg, Ermanrich of Passau, and Anno of Freising. After a heated discussion, they declared the deposition of the intruder, and ordered him to be sent to Germany, where he was kept prisoner in a monastery for two and a half years.^[29]

In spite of the strong representations of the Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum, written in 871 to influence the pope, though not avowing this purpose, Rome declared emphatically for Methodius, and sent a bishop, Paul of Ancona, to reinstate him and punish his enemies, after which both parties were commanded to appear in Rome with the legate.
Thus in 873, new Pope John VIII (872-882) secured the release of Methodius, but instructed him to stop using the Slavonic Liturgy.^[30]

Methodius’ final years

The papal will prevailed, and Methodius secured his freedom and his archiepiscopal authority over both Great Moravia and Pannonia, though the use of Slavonic for the mass was still denied to him. His authority was restricted in Pannonia when after Koceľ’s death the principality was administered by German nobles; but Svatopluk now ruled with practical independence in Great Moravia, and expelled the German clergy. This apparently secured an undisturbed field of operation for Methodius, and the Vita (x.) depicts the next few years (873–879) as a period of fruitful progress. Methodius seems to have disregarded, wholly or in part, the prohibition of the Slavonic liturgy; and when Frankish clerics again found their way into the country, and the archbishop’s strictness had displeased the licentious Svatopluk, this was made a cause of complaint against him at Rome, coupled with charges regarding the Filioque.

In 878, Methodius was summoned to Rome on charges of heresy and using Slavonic. This time Pope John was convinced by the arguments that Methodius made in his defence and sent him back cleared of all charges, and with permission to use Slavonic. The Carolingian bishop who succeeded him, Witching, suppressed the Slavonic Liturgy and forced the followers of Methodius into exile. Many found refuge with Knyaz Boris of Bulgaria, under whom they reorganised a Slavic-speaking Church. Meanwhile, Pope John’s successors adopted a Latin-only policy which lasted for centuries.

Methodius vindicated his orthodoxy at Rome, the more easily as the creed was still recited there without the Filioque, and promised to obey in regard to the liturgy. The other party was conciliated by giving him a Swabian, Wiching, as his coadjutor. When relations were strained between the two, John VIII steadfastly supported Methodius; but after his death (December 882) the archbishop’s position became insecure, and his need of support induced Goetz to accept the statement of the Vita (xiii.) that he went to visit the Eastern emperor.

It was not until after Methodius’ death, which is placed on 6 April 885,^[31] that the animosity erupted into an open conflict. Gorazd, whom Methodius had designated as his successor, was not recognised by Pope Stephen V. The same Pope forbade the use of the Slavic liturgy^[32] and placed the infamous Wiching as Methodius’ successor. The latter exiled the disciples of the two brothers from Great Moravia in 885. They fled to the First Bulgarian Empire, where they were welcomed and commissioned to establish theological schools. There they and scholar Saint Clement of Ohrid^[33] devised the Cyrillic script on the basis of the Glagolitic. Cyrillic gradually replaced Glagolitic as the alphabet of the Old Church Slavonic language, which became the official language of the Bulgarian Empire and later spread to the Eastern Slav lands of Kievan Rus’. Cyrillic eventually spread throughout most of the Slavic world to become the standard alphabet in the Eastern Orthodox Slavic countries. Hence, Cyril and Methodius’ efforts also paved the way for the spread of Christianity throughout Eastern Europe.

Methodius’ body was buried in the main cathedral church of Great Moravia. Until today it remains an open question which city was capital of Great Moravia and therefore the place of Methodius’ eternal rest remains unknown.^[34]

Invention of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets

The Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets are the oldest known Slavic alphabets, and were created by the two brothers and their students, to translate the Gospels and liturgical books^[22] into the Slavic languages.^[35] The early Glagolitic alphabet was used in Great Moravia between 863 (the arrival of Cyril and Methodius) and 885 (the expulsion of their students) for government and religious documents and books, and at the Great Moravian Academy (Veľkomoravské učilište) founded by Cyril, where followers of Cyril and Methodius were educated, by Methodius himself among others. The alphabet has been traditionally attributed to Cyril. That attribution has been confirmed explicitly by the papal letter Industriae tuae (880) approving the use of Old Church Slavonic, which says that the alphabet was «invented by Constantine the Philosopher». The term invention need not exclude the possibility of the brothers having made use of earlier letters, but implies only that before that time the Slavic languages had no distinct script of their own.

The early Cyrillic alphabet was developed in the First Bulgarian Empire^[36] and later finalized and spread by disciples Kliment and Naum in the Ohrid and Preslav schools of Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria^[37] as a simplification of the Glagolitic alphabet which more closely resembled the Greek alphabet. It was developed by the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius at the Preslav Literary School at the end of the 9th century.

After the death of Cyril, Clement of Ohrid accompanied Methodius from Rome to Pannonia and Great Moravia. After the death of Methodius in 885, Clement headed the struggle against the German clergy in Great Moravia along with Gorazd. After spending some time in jail, he was expelled from Great Moravia, and in 885 or 886 reached the borders of the Bulgarian Empire together with Naum of Preslav, Angelarius, and possibly Gorazd (according to other sources, Gorazd was already dead by that time). The four of them were afterwards sent to the Bulgarian capital of Pliska, where they were commissioned by Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria to instruct the future clergy of the state in the Slavonic language.

After the adoption of Christianity in 865, religious ceremonies in Bulgaria were conducted in Greek by clergy sent from the Byzantine Empire. Fearing growing Byzantine influence and weakening of the state, Boris viewed the adoption of the Old Slavonic language as a way to preserve the political independence and stability of Bulgaria, so he established two literary schools (academies), in Pliska and Ohrid, where theology was to be taught in the Slavonic language. While Naum of Preslav stayed in Pliska working on the foundation of the Pliska Literary School, Clement was commissioned by Boris I to organise the teaching of theology to future clergymen in Old Church Slavonic at the Ohrid Literary School. For seven years (886-893) Clement taught some 3,500 students in the Slavonic language and the Glagolitic alphabet.

Commemoration

Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Day

The canonization process was much more relaxed in the decades following Cyril’s death than today. Cyril was regarded by his disciples as a saint soon after his death. His following spread among the nations he evangelized and subsequently to the wider Christian Church, and he was famous as a holy man, along with his brother Methodius. There were calls for Cyril’s canonization from the crowds lining the Roman streets during his funeral procession. The brothers’ first appearance in a papal document is in Grande Munus of Leo XIII in 1880. They are known as the «Apostles of the Slavs», and are still highly regarded by both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Their feast day is currently celebrated on 14 February in the Roman Catholic Church (to coincide with the date of St Cyril’s death); on 11 May in the Eastern Orthodox Church (though for Eastern Orthodox Churches which use the Julian Calendar this is 24 May according to the Gregorian calendar); and on 7 July according to the old sanctoral calendar that existed before the revisions of the Second Vatican Council. The celebration also commemorates the introduction of literacy and the preaching of the gospels in the Slavonic language by the brothers. The brothers were declared «Patrons of Europe» in 1980.^[38]

The first recorded secular celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Day as the «Day of the Bulgarian script», as traditionally accepted by Bulgarian history, was held in the town of Plovdiv on 11 May 1851, when a local Bulgarian school was named «Saints Cyril and Methodius»: both acts on the initiative of the prominent Bulgarian educator Nayden Gerov,^[39] although an Armenian traveller mentioned his visit to the «celebration of the Bulgarian script» in the town of Shumen on 22 May 1803.^[40]

Cyril and Methodius are remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival^[41] and with a lesser feast on the Episcopal Church calendar^[1] on 14 February.

The day is now celebrated as a public holiday in the following countries:

• In Bulgaria it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the «Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavonic Script Day» (Bulgarian: Ден на българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост), a national holiday celebrating Bulgarian culture and literature as well as the alphabet. It is also known as «Alphabet, Culture, and Education Day» (Bulgarian: Ден на азбуката, културата и просвещението). Saints Cyril and Methodius are patrons of the National Library of Bulgaria. There is a monument to them in front of the library. Saints Cyril and Methodius are the most celebrated saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox church, and icons of the two brothers can be found in every church.
• In North Macedonia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the «Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners’ Day» (Macedonian: Св. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на словенските просветители), a national holiday. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia enacted a statute of the national holiday in October 2006 and the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia passed a corresponding law at the beginning of 2007.^[42] Previously it had only been celebrated in the schools. It is also known as the day of the «Solun Brothers» (Macedonian: Солунските браќа).
• In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the two brothers were originally commemorated on 9 March, but Pope Pius IX changed this date to 5 July for several reasons.^[43] Today, Saints Cyril and Methodius are revered there as national saints and their name day (5 July), «Sts Cyril and Methodius Day» is a national holiday in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the Czech Republic it is celebrated as «Slavic Missionaries Cyril and Methodius Day» (Czech: Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje); in Slovakia it is celebrated as «St. Cyril and Metod Day» (Slovak: Sviatok svätého Cyrila a Metoda).^[43]
• In Russia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the «Slavonic Literature and Culture Day» (Russian: День славянской письменности и культуры), celebrating Slavonic culture and literature as well as the alphabet. Its celebration is ecclesiastical (11 May in the Church’s Julian calendar). It is not a public holiday in Russia.

The saints’ feast day is celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 11 May and by the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion on 14 February as «Saints Cyril and Methodius Day». The Lutheran Churches of Western Christianity commemorate the two saints either on 14 February or 11 May. The Byzantine Rite Lutheran Churches celebrate Saints Cyril and Methodius Day on 24 May.^[44]

Other commemoration

The national library of Bulgaria in Sofia, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje in the North Macedonia, and St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria and in Trnava, Slovakia, bear the name of the two saints. Faculty of Theology at Palacký University in Olomouc (Czech Republic), bears the name «Saints Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology». In the United States, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan, bears their name.

The Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius established in 1846 was short-lived a pro-Ukrainian organization in the Russian Empire to preserve Ukrainian national identity.

Saints Cyril and Methodius are the main patron saints of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana. Ljubljana Cathedral stands at Cyril and Methodius Square (Slovene: Ciril–Metodov trg).^[45] They are also patron saints of the Greek-Catholic Eparchy of Košice (Slovakia)^[5] and the Slovak Greek Catholic Eparchy of Toronto.

St. Cyril Peak and St. Methodius Peak in the Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, in Antarctica are named for the brothers.

Saint Cyril’s remains are interred in a shrine-chapel within the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome. The chapel holds a Madonna by Sassoferrato.

The Basilica of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pennsylvania, (the only Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to SS. Cyril and Methodius in the world) is the motherhouse chapel of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, a Roman Catholic women’s religious community of pontifical right dedicated to apostolic works of ecumenism, education, evangelization, and elder care.^[46]

The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius, originally founded in 1909, is part of the national award system of Bulgaria.

In 2021, a research vessel newly acquired by the Bulgarian Navy was re-christened Ss. Cyril and Methodius after the saints, with actress Maria Bakalova as the sponsor.^[47]

Gallery

• 

  Inauguration of the monument to Saints Cyril and Methodius in Saratov on Slavonic Literature and Culture Day

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

  Opening of Cyril and Methodius monument in Donetsk

• 

  Statue, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Třebíč, Czech Republic

Names in other languages

• Greek: Κύριλλος καὶ Μεθόδιος (Kýrillos kaí Methódios)
• Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи
• Belarusian: Кірыла і Мяфодзій (Kiryła i Miafodzij) or Кірыла і Мятода (Kiryła i Miatoda)
• Bulgarian: Кирил и Методий (Kiril i Metodiy)
• Croatian: Ćiril i Metod
• Czech: Cyril a Metoděj
• Macedonian: Кирил и Методиј (Kiril i Metodij)
• New Church Slavonic: Кѷрі́ллъ и҆ Меѳо́дїй (Kỳrill» i Methodij)
• Polish: Cyryl i Metody
• Russian: Кири́лл и Мефодий (Kirill i Mefodij), pre-1918 spelling: Кириллъ и Меѳодій (Kirill» i Methodij)
• Serbian: Ћирило и Методије / Ćirilo i Metodije
• Slovak: Cyril a Metod
• Slovene: Ciril in Metod
• Ukrainian: Кирило і Мефодій (Kyrylo i Mefodij)

See also

• Cyrillo-Methodian studies
• Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius
• Byzantine Empire
• Glagolitic alphabet
• SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary
• SS. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje
• SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library in Sofia
• St. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo
• Saints Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University of Olomouc

References

Citations

Sources

Further reading

• Dvornik, F. (1964). «The Significance of the Missions of Cyril and Methodius». Slavic Review. 23 (2): 195–211. doi:10.2307/2492930. JSTOR 2492930. S2CID 163378481.

External links

• Slavorum Apostoli by Pope John Paul II
• Cyril and Methodius – Encyclical letter (Epistola Enciclica), 31 December 1980 by Pope John Paul II
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). «Sts. Cyril and Methodius» . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• «Equal to Apostles SS. Cyril and Methodius Teachers of Slavs», by Prof. Nicolai D. Talberg
• Pope Leo XIII, «Grande munus: on Saints Cyril and Methodius
• Cyril and Methodius at orthodoxwiki
• Bulgarian Official Holidays, National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria: in English, in Bulgarian
• Bank holidays in the Czech Republic, Czech National Bank: in English, in Czech
• 24 May – The Day Of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture

Saints Cyril and Methodius
«Saints Cyril and Methodius holding the Cyrillic alphabet,» a mural by Bulgarian iconographer Z. Zograf, 1848, Troyan Monastery
Bishops and Confessors; Equals to the Apostles; Patrons of Europe; Apostles to the Slavs
Born	826 or 827 and 815 Thessalonica, Byzantine Empire (present-day Greece)
Died	14 February 869 and 6 April 885 Rome and Velehrad, Great Moravia
Venerated in	Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion[1] Lutheranism[2]
Feast	11 and 24 May[3] (Eastern Orthodox Church) 14 February (present Roman Catholic calendar); 5 July (Roman Catholic calendar 1880–1886); 7 July (Roman Catholic calendar 1887–1969) 5 July (Roman Catholic Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Attributes	brothers depicted together; Eastern bishops holding up a church; Eastern bishops holding an icon of the Last Judgment.[4] Often, Cyril is depicted wearing a monastic habit and Methodius vested as a bishop with omophorion.
Patronage	Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Transnistria, Serbia, Archdiocese of Ljubljana, Europe,[4] Slovak Eparchy of Toronto, Eparchy of Košice[5]

Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the «Apostles to the Slavs».^[6]

They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic.^[7] After their deaths, their pupils continued their missionary work among other Slavs. Both brothers are venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as saints with the title of «equal-to-apostles». In 1880, Pope Leo XIII introduced their feast into the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1980, the first Slav pope, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia.^[8]

Early career

Early life

The two brothers were born in Thessalonica, then located in the Byzantine province of the same name (today in Greece) – Cyril in about 827–828 and Methodius in about 815–820. According to the Vita Cyrilli («The Life of Cyril»), Cyril was reputedly the youngest of seven brothers; he was born Constantine,^[9] but was given the name Cyril upon becoming a monk in Rome shortly before his death.^[10][11][12] Methodius was born Michael and was given the name Methodius upon becoming a monk in Polychron Monastery at Mysian Olympus (present-day Uludağ in northwest Turkey).^[13] Their father was Leo, a droungarios of the Byzantine theme of Thessalonica, and their mother’s name was Maria.

The exact ethnic origins of the brothers are unknown, there is controversy as to whether Cyril and Methodius were of Slavic^[14] or Greek^[15] origin, or both.^[16] The two brothers lost their father when Cyril was fourteen, and the powerful minister Theoktistos, who was logothetes tou dromou, one of the chief ministers of the Empire, became their protector. He was also responsible, along with the regent Bardas, for initiating a far-reaching educational program within the Empire which culminated in the establishment of the University of Magnaura, where Cyril was to teach. Cyril was ordained as priest some time after his education, while his brother Methodius remained a deacon until 867/868.^[17]

Mission to the Khazars

About the year 860, Byzantine Emperor Michael III and the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius (a professor of Cyril’s at the University and his guiding light in earlier years), sent Cyril on a missionary expedition to the Khazars who had requested a scholar be sent to them who could converse with both Jews and Saracens.^[18] It has been claimed that Methodius accompanied Cyril on the mission to the Khazars, but this may be a later invention.^{[citation needed]} The account of his life presented in the Latin «Legenda» claims that he learned the Khazar language while in Chersonesos, in Taurica (today Crimea).

After his return to Constantinople, Cyril assumed the role of professor of philosophy at the University while his brother had by this time become a significant figure in Byzantine political and administrative affairs, and an abbot of his monastery.^{[citation needed]}

Mission to the Slavs

Great Moravia

In 862, the brothers began the work which would give them their historical importance. That year Prince Rastislav of Great Moravia requested that Emperor Michael III and the Patriarch Photius send missionaries to evangelize his Slavic subjects. His motives in doing so were probably more political than religious. Rastislav had become king with the support of the Frankish ruler Louis the German, but subsequently sought to assert his independence from the Franks. It is a common misconception that Cyril and Methodius were the first to bring Christianity to Moravia, but the letter from Rastislav to Michael III states clearly that Rastislav’s people «had already rejected paganism and adhere to the Christian law.»^[19] Rastislav is said to have expelled missionaries of the Roman Church and instead turned to Constantinople for ecclesiastical assistance and, presumably, a degree of political support.^[20] The Emperor quickly chose to send Cyril, accompanied by his brother Methodius.^[21] The request provided a convenient opportunity to expand Byzantine influence. Their first work seems to have been the training of assistants. In 863, they began the task of translating the Gospels and necessary liturgical books into the language now known as Old Church Slavonic^[22] and traveled to Great Moravia to promote it.^[23] They enjoyed considerable success in this endeavour. However, they came into conflict with German ecclesiastics who opposed their efforts to create a specifically Slavic liturgy.

For the purpose of this mission, they devised the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet to be used for Slavonic manuscripts. The Glagolitic alphabet was suited to match the specific features of the Slavic language. Its descendant script, the Cyrillic, is still used by many languages today.^[20]

The brothers wrote the first Slavic Civil Code, which was used in Great Moravia. The language derived from Old Church Slavonic, known as Church Slavonic, is still used in liturgy by several Orthodox Churches and also in some Eastern Catholic churches.

It is impossible to determine with certainty exactly what the brothers translated. The New Testament and the Psalms seem to have been the first, followed by other lessons from the Old Testament.^{[citation needed]} The «Translatio» speaks only of a version of the Gospels by Cyril, and the «Vita Methodii» only of the «evangelium Slovenicum,» though other liturgical selections may also have been translated.

Nor is it known for sure which liturgy, that of Rome or that of Constantinople, they took as a source. They may well have used the Roman alphabet, as suggested by liturgical fragments which adhere closely to the Latin type. This view is confirmed by the «Prague Fragments» and by certain Old Glagolitic liturgical fragments brought from Jerusalem to Kyiv and discovered there by Izmail Sreznevsky—probably the oldest document for the Slavonic tongue; these adhere closely to the Latin type, as is shown by the words «Mass,» «Preface,» and the name of one Felicitas. In any case, the circumstances were such that the brothers could hope for no permanent success without obtaining the authorization of Rome.

Journey to Rome

The mission of Constantine and Methodius had great success among Slavs in part because they used the people’s native language rather than Latin or Greek. In Great Moravia, Constantine and Methodius also encountered missionaries from East Francia, representing the western or Latin branch of the Church, and more particularly representing the Carolingian Empire as founded by Charlemagne, and committed to linguistic, and cultural uniformity. They insisted on the use of the Latin liturgy, and they regarded Moravia and the Slavic peoples as part of their rightful mission field.

When friction developed, the brothers, unwilling to be a cause of dissension among Christians, decided to travel to Rome to see the Pope, and seek a solution that would avoid quarreling between missionaries in the field. In 867, Pope Nicholas I (858-867) invited the brothers to Rome. Their evangelizing mission in Moravia had by this time become the focus of a dispute with Archbishop Adalwin of Salzburg (859–873) and Bishop Ermanrich of Passau (866-874), who claimed ecclesiastical control of the same territory and wished to see it use the Latin liturgy exclusively.

Travelling with the relics of Saint Clement and a retinue of disciples, and passing through Pannonia (the Balaton Principality), where they were well received by Prince Koceľ. This activity in Pannonia made a continuation of conflicts inevitable with the German episcopate, and especially with the bishop of Salzburg, to whose jurisdiction Pannonia had belonged for seventy-five years. As early as 865, Bishop Adalwin was found to exercise Episcopal rights there, and the administration under him was in the hands of the archpriest Riehbald. The latter was obliged to retire to Salzburg, but his superior was naturally disinclined to abandon his claims.

The brothers sought support from Rome, and arrived there in 868, where they were warmly received. This was partly due to their bringing with them the relics of Saint Clement; the rivalry with Constantinople as to the jurisdiction over the territory of the Slavs would incline Rome to value the brothers and their influence.^[20]

New Pope Adrian II (867-872) gave Methodius the title of Archbishop of Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia) and sent him back in 869, with jurisdiction over all of Moravia and Pannonia, and authorisation to use the Slavonic Liturgy.^[24] The brothers were praised for their learning and cultivated for their influence in Constantinople. Anastasius Bibliothecarius would later call Cyril «a man of apostolic life» and «a man of great wisdom».^[25] Their project in Moravia found support from Pope Adrian II, who formally authorized the use of the new Slavic liturgy. Subsequently, Methodius was ordained as priest by the pope himself, and five Slavic disciples were ordained as priests (Saint Gorazd, Saint Clement of Ohrid and Saint Naum) and as deacons (Saint Angelar and Saint Sava) by the prominent bishops Formosus and Gauderic.^[26] Cyril and Methodius along with these five disciples are collectively venerated (mainly by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church) as «Seven Saints».^[27] The newly made priests officiated in their own languages at the altars of some of the principal churches. Feeling his end approaching, Cyril became a Basilian monk, was given the new name Cyril,^[28] and died in Rome fifty days later (14 February 869). There is some question as to assertion of the Translatio (ix.) that he was made a bishop.

The statement of the «Vita» that Methodius was made bishop in 870 and not raised to the dignity of an archbishop until 873 is contradicted by the brief of Pope John VIII, written in June 879, according to which Adrian consecrated him archbishop; John includes in his jurisdiction not only Great Moravia and Pannonia, but Serbia as well.

Methodius alone

Methodius now continued the work among the Slavs alone; not at first in Great Moravia, but in Pannonia (in the Balaton Principality), owing to the political circumstances of the former country, where Rastislav had been taken captive by his nephew Svatopluk in 870, then delivered over to Carloman of Bavaria, and condemned in a diet held at Regensburg at the end of 870. At the same time, the East Frankish rulers and their bishops decided to remove Methodius. The archiepiscopal claims of Methodius were considered such an injury to the rights of Salzburg that he was captured and forced to answer to East Frankish bishops: Adalwin of Salzburg, Ermanrich of Passau, and Anno of Freising. After a heated discussion, they declared the deposition of the intruder, and ordered him to be sent to Germany, where he was kept prisoner in a monastery for two and a half years.^[29]

In spite of the strong representations of the Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum, written in 871 to influence the pope, though not avowing this purpose, Rome declared emphatically for Methodius, and sent a bishop, Paul of Ancona, to reinstate him and punish his enemies, after which both parties were commanded to appear in Rome with the legate.
Thus in 873, new Pope John VIII (872-882) secured the release of Methodius, but instructed him to stop using the Slavonic Liturgy.^[30]

Methodius’ final years

The papal will prevailed, and Methodius secured his freedom and his archiepiscopal authority over both Great Moravia and Pannonia, though the use of Slavonic for the mass was still denied to him. His authority was restricted in Pannonia when after Koceľ’s death the principality was administered by German nobles; but Svatopluk now ruled with practical independence in Great Moravia, and expelled the German clergy. This apparently secured an undisturbed field of operation for Methodius, and the Vita (x.) depicts the next few years (873–879) as a period of fruitful progress. Methodius seems to have disregarded, wholly or in part, the prohibition of the Slavonic liturgy; and when Frankish clerics again found their way into the country, and the archbishop’s strictness had displeased the licentious Svatopluk, this was made a cause of complaint against him at Rome, coupled with charges regarding the Filioque.

In 878, Methodius was summoned to Rome on charges of heresy and using Slavonic. This time Pope John was convinced by the arguments that Methodius made in his defence and sent him back cleared of all charges, and with permission to use Slavonic. The Carolingian bishop who succeeded him, Witching, suppressed the Slavonic Liturgy and forced the followers of Methodius into exile. Many found refuge with Knyaz Boris of Bulgaria, under whom they reorganised a Slavic-speaking Church. Meanwhile, Pope John’s successors adopted a Latin-only policy which lasted for centuries.

Methodius vindicated his orthodoxy at Rome, the more easily as the creed was still recited there without the Filioque, and promised to obey in regard to the liturgy. The other party was conciliated by giving him a Swabian, Wiching, as his coadjutor. When relations were strained between the two, John VIII steadfastly supported Methodius; but after his death (December 882) the archbishop’s position became insecure, and his need of support induced Goetz to accept the statement of the Vita (xiii.) that he went to visit the Eastern emperor.

It was not until after Methodius’ death, which is placed on 6 April 885,^[31] that the animosity erupted into an open conflict. Gorazd, whom Methodius had designated as his successor, was not recognised by Pope Stephen V. The same Pope forbade the use of the Slavic liturgy^[32] and placed the infamous Wiching as Methodius’ successor. The latter exiled the disciples of the two brothers from Great Moravia in 885. They fled to the First Bulgarian Empire, where they were welcomed and commissioned to establish theological schools. There they and scholar Saint Clement of Ohrid^[33] devised the Cyrillic script on the basis of the Glagolitic. Cyrillic gradually replaced Glagolitic as the alphabet of the Old Church Slavonic language, which became the official language of the Bulgarian Empire and later spread to the Eastern Slav lands of Kievan Rus’. Cyrillic eventually spread throughout most of the Slavic world to become the standard alphabet in the Eastern Orthodox Slavic countries. Hence, Cyril and Methodius’ efforts also paved the way for the spread of Christianity throughout Eastern Europe.

Methodius’ body was buried in the main cathedral church of Great Moravia. Until today it remains an open question which city was capital of Great Moravia and therefore the place of Methodius’ eternal rest remains unknown.^[34]

Invention of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets

The Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets are the oldest known Slavic alphabets, and were created by the two brothers and their students, to translate the Gospels and liturgical books^[22] into the Slavic languages.^[35] The early Glagolitic alphabet was used in Great Moravia between 863 (the arrival of Cyril and Methodius) and 885 (the expulsion of their students) for government and religious documents and books, and at the Great Moravian Academy (Veľkomoravské učilište) founded by Cyril, where followers of Cyril and Methodius were educated, by Methodius himself among others. The alphabet has been traditionally attributed to Cyril. That attribution has been confirmed explicitly by the papal letter Industriae tuae (880) approving the use of Old Church Slavonic, which says that the alphabet was «invented by Constantine the Philosopher». The term invention need not exclude the possibility of the brothers having made use of earlier letters, but implies only that before that time the Slavic languages had no distinct script of their own.

The early Cyrillic alphabet was developed in the First Bulgarian Empire^[36] and later finalized and spread by disciples Kliment and Naum in the Ohrid and Preslav schools of Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria^[37] as a simplification of the Glagolitic alphabet which more closely resembled the Greek alphabet. It was developed by the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius at the Preslav Literary School at the end of the 9th century.

After the death of Cyril, Clement of Ohrid accompanied Methodius from Rome to Pannonia and Great Moravia. After the death of Methodius in 885, Clement headed the struggle against the German clergy in Great Moravia along with Gorazd. After spending some time in jail, he was expelled from Great Moravia, and in 885 or 886 reached the borders of the Bulgarian Empire together with Naum of Preslav, Angelarius, and possibly Gorazd (according to other sources, Gorazd was already dead by that time). The four of them were afterwards sent to the Bulgarian capital of Pliska, where they were commissioned by Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria to instruct the future clergy of the state in the Slavonic language.

After the adoption of Christianity in 865, religious ceremonies in Bulgaria were conducted in Greek by clergy sent from the Byzantine Empire. Fearing growing Byzantine influence and weakening of the state, Boris viewed the adoption of the Old Slavonic language as a way to preserve the political independence and stability of Bulgaria, so he established two literary schools (academies), in Pliska and Ohrid, where theology was to be taught in the Slavonic language. While Naum of Preslav stayed in Pliska working on the foundation of the Pliska Literary School, Clement was commissioned by Boris I to organise the teaching of theology to future clergymen in Old Church Slavonic at the Ohrid Literary School. For seven years (886-893) Clement taught some 3,500 students in the Slavonic language and the Glagolitic alphabet.

Commemoration

Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Day

The canonization process was much more relaxed in the decades following Cyril’s death than today. Cyril was regarded by his disciples as a saint soon after his death. His following spread among the nations he evangelized and subsequently to the wider Christian Church, and he was famous as a holy man, along with his brother Methodius. There were calls for Cyril’s canonization from the crowds lining the Roman streets during his funeral procession. The brothers’ first appearance in a papal document is in Grande Munus of Leo XIII in 1880. They are known as the «Apostles of the Slavs», and are still highly regarded by both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Their feast day is currently celebrated on 14 February in the Roman Catholic Church (to coincide with the date of St Cyril’s death); on 11 May in the Eastern Orthodox Church (though for Eastern Orthodox Churches which use the Julian Calendar this is 24 May according to the Gregorian calendar); and on 7 July according to the old sanctoral calendar that existed before the revisions of the Second Vatican Council. The celebration also commemorates the introduction of literacy and the preaching of the gospels in the Slavonic language by the brothers. The brothers were declared «Patrons of Europe» in 1980.^[38]

The first recorded secular celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius’ Day as the «Day of the Bulgarian script», as traditionally accepted by Bulgarian history, was held in the town of Plovdiv on 11 May 1851, when a local Bulgarian school was named «Saints Cyril and Methodius»: both acts on the initiative of the prominent Bulgarian educator Nayden Gerov,^[39] although an Armenian traveller mentioned his visit to the «celebration of the Bulgarian script» in the town of Shumen on 22 May 1803.^[40]

Cyril and Methodius are remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival^[41] and with a lesser feast on the Episcopal Church calendar^[1] on 14 February.

The day is now celebrated as a public holiday in the following countries:

• In Bulgaria it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the «Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavonic Script Day» (Bulgarian: Ден на българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост), a national holiday celebrating Bulgarian culture and literature as well as the alphabet. It is also known as «Alphabet, Culture, and Education Day» (Bulgarian: Ден на азбуката, културата и просвещението). Saints Cyril and Methodius are patrons of the National Library of Bulgaria. There is a monument to them in front of the library. Saints Cyril and Methodius are the most celebrated saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox church, and icons of the two brothers can be found in every church.
• In North Macedonia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the «Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners’ Day» (Macedonian: Св. Кирил и Методиј, Ден на словенските просветители), a national holiday. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia enacted a statute of the national holiday in October 2006 and the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia passed a corresponding law at the beginning of 2007.^[42] Previously it had only been celebrated in the schools. It is also known as the day of the «Solun Brothers» (Macedonian: Солунските браќа).
• In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the two brothers were originally commemorated on 9 March, but Pope Pius IX changed this date to 5 July for several reasons.^[43] Today, Saints Cyril and Methodius are revered there as national saints and their name day (5 July), «Sts Cyril and Methodius Day» is a national holiday in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the Czech Republic it is celebrated as «Slavic Missionaries Cyril and Methodius Day» (Czech: Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje); in Slovakia it is celebrated as «St. Cyril and Metod Day» (Slovak: Sviatok svätého Cyrila a Metoda).^[43]
• In Russia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the «Slavonic Literature and Culture Day» (Russian: День славянской письменности и культуры), celebrating Slavonic culture and literature as well as the alphabet. Its celebration is ecclesiastical (11 May in the Church’s Julian calendar). It is not a public holiday in Russia.

The saints’ feast day is celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 11 May and by the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion on 14 February as «Saints Cyril and Methodius Day». The Lutheran Churches of Western Christianity commemorate the two saints either on 14 February or 11 May. The Byzantine Rite Lutheran Churches celebrate Saints Cyril and Methodius Day on 24 May.^[44]

Other commemoration

The national library of Bulgaria in Sofia, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje in the North Macedonia, and St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria and in Trnava, Slovakia, bear the name of the two saints. Faculty of Theology at Palacký University in Olomouc (Czech Republic), bears the name «Saints Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology». In the United States, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan, bears their name.

The Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius established in 1846 was short-lived a pro-Ukrainian organization in the Russian Empire to preserve Ukrainian national identity.

Saints Cyril and Methodius are the main patron saints of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana. Ljubljana Cathedral stands at Cyril and Methodius Square (Slovene: Ciril–Metodov trg).^[45] They are also patron saints of the Greek-Catholic Eparchy of Košice (Slovakia)^[5] and the Slovak Greek Catholic Eparchy of Toronto.

St. Cyril Peak and St. Methodius Peak in the Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, in Antarctica are named for the brothers.

Saint Cyril’s remains are interred in a shrine-chapel within the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome. The chapel holds a Madonna by Sassoferrato.

The Basilica of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pennsylvania, (the only Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to SS. Cyril and Methodius in the world) is the motherhouse chapel of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, a Roman Catholic women’s religious community of pontifical right dedicated to apostolic works of ecumenism, education, evangelization, and elder care.^[46]

The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius, originally founded in 1909, is part of the national award system of Bulgaria.

In 2021, a research vessel newly acquired by the Bulgarian Navy was re-christened Ss. Cyril and Methodius after the saints, with actress Maria Bakalova as the sponsor.^[47]

Gallery

• 

  Inauguration of the monument to Saints Cyril and Methodius in Saratov on Slavonic Literature and Culture Day

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

  Opening of Cyril and Methodius monument in Donetsk

• 

  Statue, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Třebíč, Czech Republic

Names in other languages

• Greek: Κύριλλος καὶ Μεθόδιος (Kýrillos kaí Methódios)
• Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи
• Belarusian: Кірыла і Мяфодзій (Kiryła i Miafodzij) or Кірыла і Мятода (Kiryła i Miatoda)
• Bulgarian: Кирил и Методий (Kiril i Metodiy)
• Croatian: Ćiril i Metod
• Czech: Cyril a Metoděj
• Macedonian: Кирил и Методиј (Kiril i Metodij)
• New Church Slavonic: Кѷрі́ллъ и҆ Меѳо́дїй (Kỳrill» i Methodij)
• Polish: Cyryl i Metody
• Russian: Кири́лл и Мефодий (Kirill i Mefodij), pre-1918 spelling: Кириллъ и Меѳодій (Kirill» i Methodij)
• Serbian: Ћирило и Методије / Ćirilo i Metodije
• Slovak: Cyril a Metod
• Slovene: Ciril in Metod
• Ukrainian: Кирило і Мефодій (Kyrylo i Mefodij)

See also

• Cyrillo-Methodian studies
• Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius
• Byzantine Empire
• Glagolitic alphabet
• SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary
• SS. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje
• SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library in Sofia
• St. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo
• Saints Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University of Olomouc

References

Citations

Sources

Further reading

• Dvornik, F. (1964). «The Significance of the Missions of Cyril and Methodius». Slavic Review. 23 (2): 195–211. doi:10.2307/2492930. JSTOR 2492930. S2CID 163378481.

External links

• Slavorum Apostoli by Pope John Paul II
• Cyril and Methodius – Encyclical letter (Epistola Enciclica), 31 December 1980 by Pope John Paul II
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). «Sts. Cyril and Methodius» . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• «Equal to Apostles SS. Cyril and Methodius Teachers of Slavs», by Prof. Nicolai D. Talberg
• Pope Leo XIII, «Grande munus: on Saints Cyril and Methodius
• Cyril and Methodius at orthodoxwiki
• Bulgarian Official Holidays, National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria: in English, in Bulgarian
• Bank holidays in the Czech Republic, Czech National Bank: in English, in Czech
• 24 May – The Day Of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture

• Энциклопедия
• Люди
• Кирилл и Мефодий

Наверное, каждому известно, что много лет назад на земле вообще не существовало письменности. Немного позже князь из Моравии решил отправить своих людей императору Византии для того чтобы он решил эту проблему. И практически сразу же послы начали искать ученых, которые прекрасно знали кириллицу и глаголицу, а также смогли обучить всех людей ей. Вот здесь-то и отметились наши главные герои Кирилл и Мефодий в этом нелегком деле.

Братья родились в городе под названием Салоники. Отец их был военнослужащим. С детства родители обучали их писать и читать, именно поэтому они были не только образованы, но и умны. Кирилл еще совмещал учебу и помогал расправляться с разными делами князю. Конечно, они могли бы всем этим не заниматься, а выбрать совсем другую жизнь. Кроме этого они могли бы легко и свободно жить прямо рядом с императором. Но больше всего на свете ребятам нравилось изучать церковь и именно поэтому они ушли в священники. Теперь они каждый день изучали разные науки, а потом об этом рассказывали своим ученикам.

Когда они прибыли к славянам и начали их обучать, то решили создать азбуку, при помощи которой и будут их обучать. Больше всего всем этим занимался Кирилл, а вот Мефодий во всем его поддерживал и если требовалась помощь, то всегда помогал. На создание азбуки у них ушло около года. Когда азбука была создана, то ей сразу же дали название Кириллица, в честь того кто ее изобрел. Всего в ней было двадцать четыре буквы. Но получилось, так что звуков получилось намного больше, чем букв. И тогда ребята взяли несколько букв из других алфавитов, а некоторые из них даже придумали сами. Теперь их азбука составляла тридцать восемь букв.

У каждой буквы имелся свой личный звук, а также при помощи данных звуков можно было узнать о чем идет речь. Немного попозже азбука снова претерпела изменения, и в ней букв стало намного меньше. Сейчас алфавит состоит из тридцати трех букв.

Вариант №2

Братья Кирилл и Мефодий известны как создатели славянской азбуки. Они проповедовали христианство, и благодаря ним появился церковно-славянский язык. В православии братья считаются святыми.

До пострига именами Кирилла и Мефодия были Константин и Михаил соответственно. Родиной братьев является Византия, город Солунь, именуемый сейчас Солоники. Их семья была знатной и богатой. Отец, занимавший должность офицера, служил у военного губернатора. Кроме Кирилла и Мефодия в семье было еще пятеро детей. Мефодий, родившийся в 815 году, являлся старшим ребенком. Кирилл родился в 827 году и был самым младшим.

Оба брата были прекрасно обучены. Из-за места рождения они прекрасно знали и славянский, и греческий языки. Изначально Мефодий, решивший сделать карьеру на военной службе, занимал пост главнокомандующего. Монахом Мефодий стал позже. Кирилл с юности изучал науки. Младший брат поражал своими способностями учителей. После обучения Кирилл стал работать в библиотеке при монастыре.

Начало создания славянской азбуки относится к 862 году. Тогда в Константинополе от имени князя Моравии, Ростислава, послы передали его просьбу императору. Князь нуждался в людях, которые могли бы научить его народ христианству. Государство уже было религиозным, но проблема была в том, что люди не понимали богослужения на иностранном языке. Князю нужны были ученые, которые смогли бы перевести религиозные книги на славянский язык.

Император решил поручить это задание Кириллу в виду его отличного владения языком. Для перевода книг он отправился в Моравию. При создании азбуки помощниками Кирилла были его старший брат и несколько его учеников. Они перевели многие христианские книги, к примеру. «Евангелие» и «Псалтырь». Ученые до сих пор спорят по поводу того, какую именно азбуку создали братья. Одни указывают на кириллицу, другие – на глаголицу. Наиболее точной датой создания славянской азбуки считают 863 год. Кирилл и Мефодий пробыли в Моравии еще почти три с половиной года, переводили книги и обучали славянской азбуке народ.

Из-за перевода богослужебных книг на славянский язык возникли конфликты в некоторых церквях. Считалось, что богослужение ведется только на греческом, иврите и латинском. Особенно препятствовало распространению славянского языка духовенство Германии. Кирилла и Мефодия обвинили в ереси и вызвали в Рим. Поговорив с новым папой, братьям удалось устранить конфликт, а богослужение на славянском языке было утверждено.

Во время поездки в Рим младший брат заболел. Кирилл предчувствовал свою смерть, поэтому решил принять схиму и тогда же получил монашеское имя. Умер Кирилл в 869 году и был похоронен в Риме.

Мефодий получил сан священника и решил продолжать просветительское дело. Однако по возвращению в Моравию оказалось, что немецкое духовенство снова пыталось запретить богослужение на славянском языке. Мефодия заключили в монастырь. Освобожден он был папой Римским, а через несколько лет вновь добился разрешения на богослужение на славянском языке. Умер Мефодий в 885 году.

4, 5, 6 класс, по истории

Кирилл и Мефодий

Популярные темы сообщений

• Лютер Мартин

  10 ноября 1483 года родился необычайный человек, который оставил след в истории, имя которого написано в школьных учебниках. Этого человека до сих пор помнит вся Германия. Зовут его Мартин Лютер.

• Титаны эпохи возрождения

  Италия в XVI была богата на великих людей, внесших огромнейший вклад в мировую культуру. В эту эпоху на Апеннинском полуострове происходило взаимодействие художественных и интелектуальных сфер творчества. Леонардо Да Винчи, Рафаэль Санти, Ботичелли,

• Бездомные домашние животные

  На наших улицах очень много бродячих собак и кошек, а как же их жалко, каждого хочется забрать домой. Почему же это происходит? Как помочь животным выжить в городских условиях и зачем на некоторых животных цепляют на ухо жёлтую бирку?

• Иудаизм

  Иудаизм является одной из самых древних религий мира. Более того, иудаизм является самой древней религией, почитающей одного единого Бога, а не пантеон нескольких различных. Последователей иудаизма сейчас насчитывается около 15 миллионов по всему миру.

• Камчатка

  Камчатка – это полуостров на территории Российской Федерации. Он расположен в северо-восточной части материка Евразии. Он омывается двумя морями и одним океаном. Западные границы полуострова омывают Охотское море, а восточные – Берингово море

Кирилл (в миру Константин по прозвищу Философ; 827-869) и Мефодий (в миру Михаил; 815-885) – святые православной и католической церкви, братья из города Фессалоники (ныне Салоники), создатели старославянской азбуки и церковнославянского языка, христианские миссионеры.

В биографиях Кирилла и Мефодия есть много интересных фактов, которые будут упомянуты в данной статье.

Итак, перед вами краткие биографии братьев Кирилла и Мефодия.

Биографии Кирилла и Мефодия

Старшим из двух братьев был Мефодий (до пострига Михаил), родившийся в 815 году в византийском городе Фессалоники. Спустя 12 лет, в 827 году на свет появился Кирилл (до пострига Константин). У родителей будущих проповедников родились еще 5 сыновей.

Детство и юность

Кирилл и Мефодий происходили из знатного рода и воспитывались в семье военачальника по имени Лев. Биографы до сих пор спорят об этнической принадлежности данного семейства. Одни относят их к славянам, другие – к болгарам, а третьи – к грекам.

В детстве Кирилл и Мефодий получили прекрасное образование. Стоит заметить, что изначально братья не были объединены общими интересами. Так, Мефодий подался на военную службу, а позже занял должность губернатора византийской провинции, показав себя искусным правителем.

Кирилл с ранних лет отличался чрезмерной любознательностью. Все свободное время он проводил за книгами, которые в те времена представляли собой большую ценность.

Мальчик отличался выдающейся памятью и умственными способностями. Кроме этого, он владел греческим, славянским, ивритом и арамейским языками. Отучившись в Магнаврском университете, 20-летний юноша уже преподавал философию.

Христианское служение

Еще в юности у Кирилла была замечательная возможность стать высокопоставленным чиновником, а в перспективе и главнокомандующим войска. И все же, он отказался от светской карьеры, решив связать свою жизнь с богословием.

В те годы византийские власти делали все возможное, для распространения православия. Для этого, правительство отправляло дипломатов и миссионеров в те регионы, где был популярен ислам или другие религии. В результате, Кирилл стал участвовать в миссионерской деятельности, проповедуя другим народам христианские ценности.

К тому моменту, Мефодий решил оставить политическую и военную службу, последовав за младшим братом в монастырь. Это привело к тому, что в 37-летнем возрасте он принял постриг.

В 860 г. Кирилла пригласили во дворец к императору, где поручили войти в состав Хазарской миссии. Дело в том, что представители хазарского кагана обещали принять христианство при условии, что их убедят в подлинности данной веры.

На предстоящем диспуте христианским миссионерам требовалось доказать истинность своей религии перед мусульманами и идеями. Кирилл взял с собой старшего брата Мефодия и отправился к хазарам. Согласно одним источникам, Кириллу удалось выйти победителем в дискуссии с мусульманским имамом, но вопреки этому каган веру так и не сменил.

Тем не менее, хазары не стали препятствовать своим соплеменникам, которые захотели принять христианство, креститься. В тот период в биографиях Кирилла и Мефодия случилось важное событие.

Во время возвращения домой, братья заехали в Крым, где смогли обнаружить мощи Климента, святого Папы римского, которые потом были перевезены в Рим. Позже, в жизни проповедников случилось еще одно знаменательное событие.

Однажды к правительству Константинополя за помощью обратился князь моравских земель (славянское государство) Ростислав. Он просил выслать к нему христианских богословов, которые бы смогли в простой форме объяснить народу христианские учения.

Таким образом Ростислав хотел избавиться от влияния немецких епископов. Данная поездка Кирилла и Мефодия вошла в мировую историю – была создана славянская азбука. В Моравии братья проделали огромную просветительскую работу.

Кирилл и Мефодий занимались переводами греческих книг, обучали славян грамоте и показали, как следует проводить богослужения. Их поезда затянулась на 3 года, за которые им удалось достичь важнейших результатов. Их просветительская деятельность подготовила Болгарию к крещению.

В 867 г. братья были вынуждены отправиться в Рим, по обвинению в богохульстве. Западная Церковь назвала Кирилла и Мефодия еретиками, поскольку те использовали для чтения проповедей славянский язык, что тогда считалось грехом.

В ту эпоху, любые богословские темы могли обсуждаться только на греческом, латинском или еврейском языках. По пути в Рим Кирилл и Мефодий остановились в Блатенском княжестве. Здесь они успели выступить с проповедями, а также обучить местное население книжному ремеслу.

Приехав в Италию, миссионеры представили духовенству мощи Климента, которые привезли с собой. Новый Папа Адриан II был настолько обрадован мощам, что разрешил проводить служения на славянском языке. Интересен факт, что в ходе этой встречи Мефодий удостоился епископского сана.

В 869 г. не стало Кирилла, вследствие чего Мефодий сам продолжил заниматься миссионерской деятельностью. К тому моменту у него уже было много последователей. Он решил возвратиться в Моравию, чтобы продолжить начатое там дело.

Здесь Мефодию пришлось столкнуться с серьезным противостоянием в лице немецкого духовенства. Трон умершего Ростислава занял его племянник Святополк, который лояльно относился к политике немцев. Последние делали все возможное, чтобы препятствовать работе монаха.

Преследовались любые попытки вести богослужения на славянском языке. Любопытно, что Мефодий даже находился в заключении при монастыре на протяжении 3-х лет. Выйти на свободу византийцу помог Папа римский Иоанн VIII.

И все же, в церквях по-прежнему запрещалось проводить службы на славянском языке, за исключением проповедей. Стоит заметить, что не смотря на все запреты, Мефодий продолжал тайно вести богослужения на славянском.

В скором времени архиепископ крестил чешского князя, за что едва не понес суровое наказание. Впрочем, Мефодию удалось не только избежать кары, но и получить разрешение на проведение служб на славянском языке. Интересен факт, что незадолго до своей кончины он успел окончить перевод ветхозаветных Писаний.

Создание азбуки

Кирилл и Мефодий вошли в историю прежде всего, как создатели славянской азбуки. Это случилось на рубеже 862-863 годов. Стоит заметить, что еще за несколько лет до этого, братья уже делали первые попытки для воплощения своей идеи.

В тот момент биографии они жили на склоне горы Малый Олимп в местном храме. Автором азбуки принято считать Кирилла, а вот какой именно, остается загадкой.

Специалисты склоняются к глаголице, на что указывают 38 символов, содержащихся в ней. Если говорить о кириллице, то ее, очевидно, воплотил в жизнь Климент Охридский. Однако в любом случае, ученик все равно применил наработки Кирилла – именно он вычленил звуки языка, что является важнейшим фактором при создании письменности.

Основой для азбуки послужила греческая тайнопись – литеры очень похожи, вследствие чего глаголицу путали с восточными алфавитами. А вот для обозначения характерных славянских звуков были использованы еврейские буквы, среди которых – «ш».

Смерть

Во время поездки в Рим Кирилла сразила серьезная болезнь, которая оказалась для него роковой. Принято считать, что Кирилл умер 14 февраля 869 года в возрасте 42 лет. В этот день католики празднуют день памяти святых.

Мефодий пережил своего брата на 16 лет, умерев 4 апреля 885 г. в возрасте 70 лет. После его смерти в Моравии позже снова начали запрещать богослужебные переводы, а последователи Кирилла и Мефодия стали подвергаться жестоким гонениям. Сегодня византийские миссионеры почитаются как на Западе, так и на Востоке.

Фото Кирилла и Мефодия

Если вам понравились краткие биографии Кирилла и Мефодия – поделитесь ею с друзьями. Если же вам нравятся биографии великих людей или интересные истории из их жизни, – подписывайтесь на веб-сайт InteresnyeFakty.org.

Понравился пост? Нажми любую кнопку: