Boris I of Bulgaria

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"Boris I" redirects here. Not to be confused with Boris Godunov.
Boris I
Preslav
SpouseMaria
IssueVladimir
Gavrail
Simeon I
Evpraksiya
Anna
HouseKrum's dynasty
FatherPresian
ReligionChalcedonian Christianity
Saint Boris
Bulgarian people

Boris I (also Bogoris), venerated as Saint Boris I (Mihail) the Baptizer (

Church Slavonic: Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ Bulgarian: Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler (knyaz) of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. The historian Steven Runciman called him one of the greatest persons in history.[1] Despite a number of military setbacks, the reign of Boris I was marked with significant events that shaped Bulgarian and European history. With the Christianization of Bulgaria in 864, paganism was abolished. A skillful diplomat, Boris I successfully exploited the conflict between the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Papacy to secure an autocephalous Bulgarian Church
, thus dealing with the nobility's concerns about Byzantine interference in Bulgaria's internal affairs.

When in 885 the disciples of

Glagolithic and later promoted the development of the Cyrillic script in Preslav and the Slavic literature. After he abdicated in 889, his eldest son and successor tried to restore the old pagan religion but was deposed by Boris I. During the Council of Preslav which followed that event, the Byzantine clergy was replaced with Bulgarian, and the Greek language was replaced with what is now known as Old Church Slavonic
.

He is regarded as a saint in the

Equal-to-the-Apostles, with his feast day observed on May 2 and in Synaxis of all venerable and holy Fathers of Bulgaria (movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of Pentecost).[2][3]

Name and titles

Coin of Boris-Mihail. Knyaz, struck in 852–889.

The most common theory is that the name Boris is of Bulgar origin.[4][5][6] After his official act of conversion to Christianity, Boris adopted the Christian name Michael. He is sometimes called Boris-Michael in historical research.

The only direct evidence of Boris's title are his seals and the inscription found near the town of Ballsh, modern Albania, and at Varna. There he is called by the Byzantine title "Archon of Bulgaria", which is usually translated as "ruler", and in the 10-11th centuries also as "Knyaz" (Кнѧзъ, Bulg.).[7] In the Bulgarian sources from that period, Boris I is called "Knyaz" and during the Second Bulgarian Empire, "Tsar".[8]

In modern historiography Boris is called by different titles. Most historians accept that he changed his title after his conversion to Christianity. According to them, before the baptism he had the title Khan[9] or Kanasubigi,[10][11] and after that Knyaz.[12]

Reign

Central Europe in the 9th century

The early 9th century marked the beginning of a fierce rivalry between the Greek East and Latin West, which would ultimately lead to the schism between the Orthodox Church in Constantinople and the Catholic Church in Rome.

As early as 781, the

veneration of icons under Empress Irene, the result was not recognized by Charlemagne since no Frankish emissaries had been invited even though Charlemagne was by then ruling more than three provinces of the old Roman empire. While this improved relations with the Papacy, it did not prevent the outbreak of a war with the Franks, who took over Istria and Benevento
in 788.

When Charlemagne was proclaimed Emperor of the

Nicephorus I
had no great effect.

Mojmír I managed to unite some Slavic princes and established Great Moravia in 833. His successor, Rastislav, also fought against the Germans.[13]
Both states tried to maintain good relations with Bulgaria on account of its considerable military power.

Military campaigns

Bulgaria under rule of Boris I

Boris I was the son and successor of

a war against the Bulgarians. Both peoples had coexisted peacefully up to that time, suggesting that the Croats were paid by Louis to attack Bulgaria and distract Boris' attention from his alliance with Great Moravia.[21] Kanasubigi Boris could not achieve any success, and both sides exchanged gifts and settled for peace.[22] As a result of the military actions in 855, the peace between Bulgaria and Eastern Francia was restored, and Rastislav was forced to fight against Louis alone. In the meantime, a conflict between the Byzantines and Bulgarians had started in 855–856, and Boris, distracted by his conflict with Louis, lost Philippopolis (Plovdiv), the region of Zagora, and the ports around the Gulf of Burgas on the Black Sea to the Byzantine army led by Michael III and the caesar Bardas.[23][24]

Serbia

Main article: Bulgar–Serb War (853)

After the death of Knez

boyars.[25] Boris I and Mutimir agreed to peace (and perhaps an alliance[25]), and Mutimir sent his sons Pribislav and Stefan to the border to escort the prisoners, where they exchanged items as a sign of peace. Boris himself gave them "rich gifts", while he was given "two slaves, two falcons, two dogs, and 80 furs".[26][27][28] An internal conflict among the Serbian brothers resulted in Mutimir banishing the two younger brothers to the Bulgarian court.[25][29] Mutimir, however, kept a nephew, Petar, at his court for political reasons.[30] The reason for the feud is not known, though it is postulated that it was a result of treachery.[30] Petar would later defeat Pribislav
, Mutimir's son, and take the Serbian throne.

Motivations for baptism and conversion to Christianity

Depiction in the Madrid Skylitzes of Boris I's baptism.

There are a number of versions as to why Boris converted to Christianity. Some historians attribute it to the intervention of

Judgement day and thus decides to adopt Christianity.[31] Richard B. Spence sees the decision as deliberate, practical, and politic.[32]

For a variety of diplomatic reasons, Boris became interested in converting to Christianity. In order to both extend his control over the Slavic world and gain an ally against one of the most powerful foes of the Bulgars, the Byzantine Empire, Boris sought to establish an alliance with Louis the German against Ratislav of Moravia.[33] Through this alliance, Louis promised to supply Boris with missionaries, which would have effectively brought the Bulgars under the Roman Church.[34] However, late in 863, the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Michael III declared war on Boris and the Bulgars during a period of famine and natural disasters. Taken by surprise, Boris was forced to make peace with the Byzantines, promising to convert to Christianity according to the eastern rites, in exchange for peace and territorial concessions in Thrace (he regained the region of Zagora recently recovered by the Byzantines).[35] At the beginning of 864, Boris was secretly baptized at Pliska by an embassy of Byzantine clergymen, together with his family and select members of the Bulgarian nobility.[36] With Emperor Michael III as his godfather, Boris also adopted the Christian name Michael.[31]

Separate from diplomatic concerns, Boris was interested in converting himself and the Bulgarians to Christianity to resolve the disunity within the Bulgarian society. When he ascended to the throne, the Bulgars and Slavs were separate elements within Boris' kingdom, the minority Bulgars constituting a military aristocracy. Richard Spence compares it to the relationship between the Normans and Saxons in England.

polytheistic belief system while the Bulgar elite believed in Tangra
, the Sky God, or God of Heaven. The arrival of Methodius and his followers introduced the Cyrillic alphabet, freeing the Bulgarians from dependence on Greek as a written and liturgical language. A Slavic Christian culture developed that helped unify the realm.[32]

Baptism of the Bulgarians and the establishment of the Bulgarian Church

Main article: Christianization of Bulgaria
Depiction in the Manases Chronicle of Boris I' baptism.

After his baptism, the first major task that Boris undertook was the baptism of his subjects and for this task he appealed to Byzantine priests between 864 and 866.

Photian Schism
, which was a major step in the rift between the eastern and western churches.

To deliver his response to Boris’ questions, Pope Nicholas I sent two bishops to Bulgaria: Paul of Populonia and Formosus of Porto. The Pope expected that these priests would execute their episcopal responsibilities to address Boris’ concerns, but did not intend for them to be elevated to the positions that they assumed in the Bulgar hierarchy. In Bulgaria, the activities of Bishop Formosus (later

Patriarchate of Constantinople and an archbishop of its own. Later in the 870s, the Patriarch of Constantinople surrendered Bulgaria to the Papacy, but this concession was purely nominal, as it did not affect the actual position of Bulgaria's autocephalous church.[41]

The Christianization of the Bulgarians as a result of Boris’ actions had profound effects not only on the religious belief system of the Bulgarians but also the structure of the Bulgarian government. Upon embracing Christianity, Boris took on the title of Knyaz and joined the community of nations that embraced Christ, to the great delight of the Eastern Roman Empire.[39]

Toward the end of his reign, Boris began to increase the number of native Bulgarian clergy. Consequently, Boris began to send Bulgarians to Constantinople to obtain a monastic education and some of these Bulgarians returned to their homeland to serve as clergymen.[citation needed] In 885, Boris was presented with a new opportunity to establish a native clergy when Slavic-speaking disciples of St. Cyril and St. Methodius were forced to flee from Moravia after a German-inspired reaction to the death of the apostle.[citation needed]

Changes to Bulgarian culture brought on by Clement and Naum

Knyaz Boris I meeting the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius

In 886 Boris' governor of

Naum of Preslav, who were of noble Bulgarian Slavic origin. To utilize the disciple's talents, Boris commissioned Clement to be a “teacher” in the province of Kutmichevitsa
.

Both Clement and Naum were instrumental in furthering the cultural, linguistic and spiritual works of Cyril and Methodius.

Glagolitic alphabet
.

In

Slavic peoples
and states. The introduction of Slavic liturgy paralleled Boris' continued development of churches and monasteries throughout his realm.

Reactions to religious conversion

Conversion to Christianity met great opposition among the Bulgarian elite. Some refused to become Christians while others apostatized after baptism and started a rebellion against Boris for forcing them to be baptized. Some people did not object necessarily to the Christian religion but to the fact that it was brought by foreign priests, which, as a result, established external foreign policy. By breaking the power of the old cults, Boris reduced the influence of the boyars, who resisted the khan's authority.[32] In the summer of 865 a group of Bulgar aristocrats (boyars) started an open revolt.[31] Boris ruthlessly suppressed it and executed 52 boyars together with their entire families.[43] Thus the Christianization continued.

End of Boris' reign

In 889 Boris abdicated the throne and became a monk. His son and successor

Magyars, who had invaded Bulgaria in alliance with the Byzantines. After the passing of this crisis, Boris resumed monastic life and died in 907. The location of his retreat, where perhaps he was interred, is not certain; it may be near Preslav, or Pliska, or in a monastery near Varna
or Ravda.

Legacy

St. Boris Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named for Boris I of Bulgaria.

Boris I's life is featured in the 1985 film "Boris I" (Борис Първи), with Stefan Danailov in the title role.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boris I of Bulgaria.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Runciman, p. 152
  2. ^ (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Βόρις – Μιχαὴλ ὁ Ἱσαπόστολος ὁ πρίγκιπας καὶ Φωτιστῆς τοῦ Βουλγαρικοῦ λαοῦ. 2 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  3. ^ "Orthodox Calendar. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, a parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow". www.holytrinityorthodox.com. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  4. ^ Проф. Веселин Бешевлиев (Издателство на Отечествения фронт, София 1981)
  5. ^ Д-р Зоя Барболова - Имена със значение вълк в българската антропонимна система. LiterNet, 30.04.2013, № 4 (161).
  6. ISBN 1409400034
    , p. 4.
  7. ^ Бакалов, Георги. Средновековният български владетел. (Титулатура и инсигнии), София 1995, с. 144, 146, Бобчев, С. С. Княз или цар Борис? (към историята на старобългарското право). Титлите на българските владетели, Българска сбирка, XIV, 5, 1907, с. 311
  8. ^ Бакалов, Георги. Средновековният български владетел..., с. 144–146
  9. ISBN 954-430-299-9
    .
  10. ^ 12 мита в българската история
  11. ^ Страница за прабългарите
  12. ISBN 954-430-299-9
    .
  13. ^ К. Грот, Моравия и Мадяры, Петроград, 1881, стр. 108 и сл.
  14. ^ Rudolfi Fulden. annales, an. 852
  15. ^ Pertz, Mon. Germ. SS, I, p. 367: legationes Bulgarorum Sclavorumque et absolvit
  16. ^ Genesios, ed. Bon., p. 85–86
  17. ^ В. Н. Златарски, Известия за българите, стр. 65–68
  18. ^ В. Розен, Император Василий Болгаробойца, Петроград, 1883, стр. 14
  19. ^ Dümmler, каз. съч., I, стр. 38
  20. ^ Migne, Patrol. gr., t. 126, cap. 34, col. 197
  21. ^ К. Грот, Известия о сербах и хорватах, стр. 125–127
  22. ^ Const. Porphyr., De admin, imp., ed. Bon, cap. 31, p. 150–151
  23. ^ Gjuzelev, p. 130
  24. ^ Bulgarian historical review, v.33: no. 1–4, p. 9.
  25. ^ a b c Fine, The Early Medieval Balkans, p. 141
  26. ^ F. Raçki, Documenta historiae Chroatie etc., Zagreb, 1877, p. 359.
  27. ^ П. Шафарик, Славян. древн., II, 1, стр. 289.
  28. ^ Const. Porphyr., ibid., cap. 32, p. 154-155
  29. ^ The Serbs, p. 15
  30. ^ a b Đekić, Đ. 2009, "Why did prince Mutimir keep Petar Gojnikovic?", Teme, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 683–688. PDF
  31. ^ a b c d e Anderson, 1999, p. 80
  32. ^
    ISBN 978- 1579580414
  33. ISBN 0-86078-402-9
    .
  34. ISBN 0-8014-3977-9
    .
  35. ^ Fine, pp. 118–119
  36. ISBN 0-8028-4680-7
    .
  37. ^ Antonova, Stamenka E. (2011). "Bulgaria, Patriarchal Orthodox Church of". The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Wiley-Blackwell: 78–93.
  38. ISBN 0-300-11597-0
    .
  39. ^ a b Norwich, John Julius (2011). A History of the Papacy. New York: Random House. p. 74.
  40. ^ a b Duffy, 2006, p. 103
  41. ISBN 90-256-0638-5
    .
  42. ^ Civita, Michael J. L. (July 2011). "The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria". Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  43. ^ "V. Zlatarski - Istorija 1 B - 3.2".

References

Resources
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Presian I as Khan
Knyaz of Bulgaria

852–889 		Succeeded by
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