History of Saint Cyril

1. Early Life of Cyril

Of the two "Apostles to the Slavs," Cyril
(originally named Constantine) died in 869; Methodius,
in 885. They were the sons of a subordinate
military officer named Drungarius, born at
Thessalonica, of Greek descent, but acquainted with
Slavonic. The Vita Cyrilli has a marked preference
for the number seven; according to it, Cyril or
Constantine was the youngest of seven brothers,
at seven years of age gave himself to
the pursuit of heavenly wisdom, at
fourteen was left an orphan. An
influential official, possibly the eunuch
Theoctistes, brought him to
Constantinople. Photius is said to have been among
his teachers; Anastasius mentions their later
friendship, as well as a conflict between them on a
point of doctrine. After the completion of his
education Cyril took orders, and seems to have
held the important position of chartophylax, or
secretary to the patriarch and keeper of the
archives, with some judicial functions also. After six
months' quiet retirement in a monastery he began
to teach philosophy and theology. In this period
may fall his controversy with the deposed
iconoclast patriarch John. The Vita also speaks of a
journey into Mohammedan territory, and
discussions with the inhabitants; and precisely at this
time the difference between Christianity and
Mohammedanism had become more sharply marked.
The Vita connects his anti-Jewish polemics with
his mission to the Chazars, a Finnish-Turkish tribe
on the Sea of Azof under a Jewish king who
allowed Jews, Mohammedans, and Christians to live
peaceably side by side. It is uncertain how far we
may trust the account of this journey, undertaken
at the emperor's bidding; but Dummler has pointed
out that the description of perils incurred from the
Hungarians corresponds closely to what is known
from other sources of their activity in those regions
at this exact time. According to the Vita, Cyril
found at Cherson an opportunity to learn the
Hebrew and Samaritan languages, and, according to
the Italian Legenda, also that of the Chazars.
Anastasius says that he described his discovery of the
bones of Saint Clement in a Storiola, a Sermo
declamatorius, and a Hymnus, the first two of which
Anastasius translated into Latin. Since Cyril, out of
modesty, omitted to mention his own name, it may
be inferred that the account extant in Slavonic, but
no doubt originally Greek, comes from one of these
works, probably from the Sermo declamatorius.
The statement that Methodius accompanied him
on the mission to the Chazars is probably a later
growth. Methodius, a man of great practical
energy, had already acquired a position of political
importance, presumably the governorship of the
Slavonian part of the empire; later, he became
abbot of the famous monastery of Polychron.

2. Mission to the Slavs.

But both brothers were now to enter upon the
work which gives them their historical importance.
An independent Slavonic principality had been
established by Rostislav, duke of Moravia; and to
maintain this independence it was necessary to
assert also the ecclesiastical independence of his
state, which had been, at least externally,
Christianized from the German side. Hauck accepts
the statement of Theotmar that Rostislav expelled
the Teutonic clergy at the beginning of his
contest with the Franks. He then turned
to Constantinople to find teachers for
his people. It is obvious that the
opportunity to extend Byzantine
influence among the Slavs would be
there; and the task was entrusted to Cyril and
Methodius. Their first work seems to have been
the training of assistants. The assertion that Cyril
now undertook his translation of part of the Bible
contradicts the statement of the Legenda that it
had already been made before his undertaking of
the Moravian mission; and the oldest Slavonic
documents have a southern character. Cyril is
designated by both friends and opponents of
contemporary date as the inventor of the Slavonic
script. This would not exclude the possibility of
his having made use of earlier letters, but implies
only that before him the Slavs had no distinct
script of their own for use in writing books. The
so-called Glagolitic script can be traced back at
least to the middle of the tenth century, possibly
even into the ninth; it presupposes a man of some
education as its originator, and is evidently
derived principally from the Greek, but also partly
from the Latin cursive. The Cyrillian script is
undoubtedly later in origin, and apparently was
first used in Bulgaria. It is impossible to
determine with certainty what portions of the Bible the
brothers translated. Apparently the New
Testament and the Psalms were the first, followed by
other lessons from the Old Testament. The
Translatio speaks only of a version of the Gospels by
Cyril, and the Vita Methodii only of the
evangelium Slovenicum; but this does not prove that
'Cyril did not translate other liturgical selections
(see BIBLE VERSIONS, B, XVI., § 1). The
question has been much discussed which liturgy,
that of Rome or that of Constantinople, they
took as a source. Since, however, the opposition
objected only to the liturgical use of the Slavonic
language, not to any alleged departure from the
Roman type of liturgy, it is probable that the
Western source was used. This view is confirmed by
the "Prague Fragments" and by certain Old
Glagolitic liturgical fragments brought from
Jerusalem to Kief and there discovered by
Saresnewsky-- 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.

3. Appeal to Rome.

Accordingly, they went to Rome after three and
a half years of labor, passing through Pannonia,
where they were well received by the chieftain
Kozel. The account of a discussion in Venice on
the use of Slavonic in the liturgy is doubtful. But
there is no question of their welcome in Rome,
due partly to their bringing with them the relics
of Saint Clement; the rivalry with Constantinople,
too, as to the jurisdiction over the territory of
the Slavs would incline Rome to value
the brothers and their influence. The
learning of Cyril was also prized;
Anastasius calls him not long after "the
teacher of the Apostolic See." The ordination of
the brothers' Slav disciples was performed by
Formosus and Gauderic, two prominent bishops, and
the newly made priests officiated in their own tongue
at the altars of some of the principal churches.
Feeling his end approaching, Cyril put on the
monastic habit and died fifty days later (Feb. 14,
869). There is practically no basis for the
assertion of the Translatio (ix.) that he was made a
bishop; and the name of Cyril seems to have been
given to him only after his death.