Ilias Evangelou

Eastern Roman Empire had an important role in the spiritual and cultural development of the Slavic world, which inhabited vast areas north of its borders in the ninth century AD. Two brothers from Thessaloniki, St. Constantine-Cyril and St. Methodius, launched this active work in which cultural and religious traditions of the Christian East are clearly reflected and embodied and defined the terms of the relationship between the Slavic world and the Empire of New Rome. In the article the author tries to give a theological evaluation of the cultural and spiritual progress of the Slavic world in connection with Byzantium. He considers the activities of the Thessalonian brothers as developed in two critical axes that affect the consolidation of ecclesiastical tradition of the Christian East by spreading the Christian hagiographic tradition and the tradition of the Fathers, on the one hand, and the spread of the tradition of the laws of Constantinople, on the other. These two axes ensured the establishment of institutions, models and structures in the Slavic world that were similar to the Byzantine ones. All this not only sets guidelines for development of the Slavic cultures, but also determines the characteristics of these cultures connected to the Empire of New Rome with the inseparable and indestructible ties.

Among the valuable manuscripts found in the Sinai monastery “St Catherine” in 1975, is the codex No 20N. It contains only the Vita of St. Basil the New in Middle Bulgarian translation of the 14th c. The manuscript contains 120 sheets of paper that are kept in a very good condition. At the end of the manuscript is preserved the author's colophon who notes that its name is Father Peter, it provides also information on how he works, the place and time when the manuscript was created. The paper includes the publication of the Vita of St. Basil the New, published in this translation for the first time. The edition follows the orthography and punctuation of the manuscript all possible accuracy preserving the superscripts and accent signs. The publication is crucial for research work on the language and history of Bulgarian literature in the 14th c.

The list of the Archbishops of Bulgaria that was published by Du Cange in the late 17th century has been edited many times in various countries. This list, which is a precious source for the history of the Archdiocese of Ochrid, was known until recently only by one manuscript in the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris, which was brought to light by Du Cange. Recently the list of the Archbishops of Bulgaria was found in two more codices. Professor Dr. V. Tapkova-Zaimova found it in the codex No Mosq. Syn. Gr. 286 from the collection of the Moscow State Historical Museum (it was published by S. Barlieva). Professor Dr. A. A. Tachiaos found it in the codex No 18 of the Public Library of Tyrnavo, Greece. In this article the list of the Archbishops of Bulgaria is republished on the basis of the codices No Paris. Gr. 880, Mosq. Syn. Gr. 286 and Tyrnavo 18. Note has also been taken of the interventions of H. Gelzer and J. Ivanov in the edition of the Paris codex as well as those of S. Barlieva in the edition of the Moscow codex.