In the history of our country's many glorious date.Many of them are confined to the events of ancient times.One such memorable events, which dragged on for many years, has been the emergence of Slavic Literature.Do you know the names of the holy brothers, who created the Slavic alphabet?If not, then this article was written especially for you!
Who was it?
If you are at least vaguely heard the teacher on the lessons of history, we should be able to remember them yourself.Yes, the names of the holy brothers, who created the Slavic alphabet - Cyril and Methodius.This Slavic preachers, whose role in world history is that they have been canonized, not only the Orthodox, but even the Catholic Church.Furthermore, the mention of their life and activity are found in the writings of Muslim leaders.
believed that Cyril (years of life - about 827-969) got its name in the Orthodox Rome in just 50 days before his death.Throughout his life he was known to his contemporaries as the Constantine the Philosopher.Methodius (820-885 years of life) and was baptized with a new name at the end of life.What was his name in fact, historians and theologians do not know, but suggest that a preacher originally named Michael.
Cyril and Methodius (the photos of them recreate the image is in the article) were brothers.In addition to them in the family had eight boys.Their further fate is not known.They were born in Thessaloniki (Salonika).While the city was part of Macedonia.
Childhood and youth
Methodius, even though it is rarely mentioned in historical sources, was in military service.Moreover, for 10 years he was managing some area (most likely, Slavic), and then left the ranks of the soldiers and went to the monastery of Olympus is in the territory of Asia Minor.Around 860, he abandons the primacy of, became abbot of the monastery Polychrono is located on the shores of the Sea of Marmara.
Unlike Methodius, Cyril never been bodily health, but with a very young age showed signs of an unusually sharp mind.Michael-Methodius often had to protect and take care of his beloved younger brother who could not properly stand up for themselves.Brothers and will stay together all their lives.
Just 14 years young Cyril already being engrossed in the revelations of St. Gregory the Theologian.The boy drew the attention of the Emperor Michael III, after which he was taken to the court as a study buddy for his son.Under the leadership of Photius, the famous Patriarch later, as well as other highly experienced mentors, the young man learned the secrets of grammar and rhetoric, dialectic, astronomy and other sciences.
«Life" Cyril shows that theologian knew about a dozen of the most common languages then.He gave up a prominent position at the imperial court, he has not given consent to the advantageous marriage, preferring to become a librarian in Hagia Sophia.A little later, he secretly goes to the monastery, and after returning from his sophistry taught in universities.It was then that he was nicknamed the Philosopher, which will remain with him until the end of his days.
What is known of their backgrounds?
Vera Constantine (Cyril) was so great that in scientific debates, he has always prevailed over the heretics iconoclasts.However, Emperor Constantine sent a clever and often experienced philosopher even Saracens (Muslims), where he also showed himself as a talented spokesman, who in theological dispute can easily defeat the enemy with his own weapon.
We hope that you remember the name of the holy brothers, who created the Slavic alphabet.
Getting Started on the ABC
Around 858, the brothers sent to the Khazars.Korsun monks missionaries stopped in order to deepen the study of Hebrew.There they found the holy relics of Pope Clement.Some of these brothers brought with them to continue the journey.Alas, to reach some significant successes among the Khazars, who polls professed Judaism missionaries failed.However, they are still about 200 baptized Khazars, and rescued from captivity, many Greeks.Methodius went to Polychronios becoming abbot in the monastery, Cyril returned to Constantinople.
It is in the silence of some cells and created the first prototype of a unified Slavic Literature: Cyril took as its basis the old Greek writing, a few simplifying and expanding it.By the way speaking, the Greek alphabet was borrowed from the Phoenicians, who developed it as early as the seventh century BC.Thus, the creation of the Slavic alphabet inseparably linked with the transformation of the Greek language.
What happened to Cyril?
likely to Cyril our ancestors in the course of writing was based on "features and cuts."Accurate information is not saved, but because historians have to settle for just one mention in the works of his contemporaries, that a lot of information can not give.However, this problem is very ambiguous: still among philologists and historians are hotly debated since ancient Slavic written language - a complicated subject, in which the "white spots" is a thousand times more than the more or less established facts.
Most likely, Cyril - the creator of the Slavic alphabet in its present form.
Cyrillic and Glagolitic
If we began to discuss the problem of the emergence of Slavic Literature in a form that is familiar to us today, it is impossible not to mention the acute and heated debate.It occurs among historians, linguists and archaeologists, who has been lasting for decades.The subject is not only the creation of the Slavic alphabet as such, but its discussion of the options, which were circulated throughout the ancient.
The idea is that in the whole of ancient Russia at one time had a circulation of just two writing systems: Already known Cyrillic and Glagolitic, the existence of which today few know.Was it at that time some other, ancient Slavic alphabet?Anything is possible ... The difficulty in deciding which of them was the original - complete absence of reliable archaeological evidence.
Some studies were carried out by many Russian scientists (especially in the 19th century), but because of the extremely turbulent history of our country the results were completely lost.It is only known that scientists Tsarist Russia still believes that the developers of Cyrillic alphabet are just brothers Cyril and Methodius.Briefly described theses still found in the archives.
What alphabet created Cyril?
Scientists still have not come to a consensus about what are all the same Cyril invented: Glagolitic and Cyrillic?Note that in the 10-11 centuries in Cyrillic letters, there were just 43: 25 of them - are borrowed from an old Greek alphabet.It can be said that the remaining came from the same place, but were significantly modified to use them can be transmitted sounds more characteristic of Slavic speech.This also characterized by the creation of the Slavic alphabet in spite of the artificial origin of many letters, it is based in the ancient language, had the widest circulation in the ancient world.
oldest written records
on the ruins of the church in Pereslavl Simeon (Bulgaria) inscriptions end of the ninth century.From the same series - recording from Dobrogea, dated 943 year.The mound dated tenth century, it was found a jug labeled "goruhsha."There are also birch bark Novgorod ratification of the 11th century.One can only guess how many such certificates, which were written earlier, simply destroy the time.Finally, it is widely known, "Ostrom Gospel", written between the years 1056-1057 (from Novgorod).
went from Cyrillic?
Despite numerous studies, scientists have not been able to find out where all the same there was this writing.Many of them believe that it is still created Cyril, as a more or less distinct evidence of its ancient origin there.Others, however, believe that Kirill was designed only Glagolitic and Slavic Cyrillic alphabet originated somewhere in ancient Bulgaria.
latter assumption is not unreasonable.The fact that the Bulgarians in 864-865 to Orthodoxy, and immediately sent to Clement of Ohrid, which was one of the most prominent and talented students who are trained Saints Cyril and Methodius.He also became the first Slav who took high rank of bishop.
Its something and some researchers believe the developer of the Cyrillic alphabet.Yet most of the historians, theologians and ministers of the Church is considered the creator of Constantine the Philosopher, that is, of St. Cyril.This opinion is very thorough, as many of the words, letters and phonetics our language is borrowed from the Greeks.There is nothing surprising in the fact if the natives of Macedonia, and in fact managed to systematize the knowledge of the Slavic dialects, and then based on this information to carry out the creation of the Slavic alphabet, which was for us really native.
opinions about the origin of the Glagolitic Glagolitic
considered by many scientists as a form of the Latin alphabet, as it is very similar to the value of phonetics and letters.The differences lie in a more complex form of the latter.Perhaps this way of tracing came from Samaritan language.In the 10-11 centuries, its residents actively used Moravia, Dalmatia, and in Bulgaria itself Glagolitic actively used.What we talk about Croatia, which used this alphabet until the 18th century!As for the oldest written records, it inscribed, that comes to mind Codex Zographensis created in the late 10th century.
If speculation about the origin of the Cyrillic alphabet is still there, all the theories about the origin of the Glagolitic are based solely on information and assumptions, as there is no documentary evidence that could confirm or disprove at least one theory.Rather, the history of the Slavic alphabet originated long before the 10th century, but as long as this kind of theories are unsubstantiated.
fairly large group of scientists, which includes I.Teylor, IV Yagitch and others, fought to the death: this alphabet was based all the same Cyril based on Byzantine shorthand technique!Domestic same researchers in the pre-revolutionary period (AI Sobolewski, Sreznevsky II, EF Karski) promoted the theory that the Glagolitic originates in X century Moravia, where she actively propagated students omnipresent Kirill.This group did not come to a consensus about its creator, but they are definitely the place spread guessed.
last assertion is based on the fact that the local Catholic Church began its persecution of Glagolitic is in Moravia, beyond which she then used much longer.Needless persecution began because of what looks suspiciously like a new alphabet of the Byzantine, which casts doubt on "ancient origin" of Catholicism.As you can see, the history of the Slavic alphabet is very complicated and confusing.
Some scientists and all were in favor of what the Glagolitic - not that other, as a sort of "cryptographic" form of the Cyrillic alphabet.During the Soviet period widespread version of (largely for political reasons) that the Glagolitic - ancient Slavic script, on which (with a touch of Greek) and was created the Cyrillic alphabet.Thus, Soviet scientists have assumed that Cyril and Methodius (photos of their images have in our article), a version of which had transformed the writing.Recent studies suggest that this is clearly not the case.
Concurrent use alphabets
Until the 12th century the two writing systems used throughout.But due to the fact that the Cyrillic alphabet was much easier to style, she soon replaced the "competitor."Whatever it was, but today more than 70 languages around the world is built on the basis of the invention, Cyril.However, in some of them (including in Russian) can still see traces of Glagolitic.
Many scientists believe that the latter died artificially.Say, its purpose prohibited creators of the Slavic alphabet, destroying books written on it.Most likely, it is not.Just look at ancient texts written in Cyrillic and Glagolitic.In the first case, virtually any member of the Slavic peoples will be able to easily understand at least part of the word, even if the writing has been used Church Slavonic alphabet (in many ways represents the same Greek language).
In the case of Glagolitic can say with confidence that all the subjects were not able to identify a single letter: the style and the mark up of the complex that is practically impossible to understand.Simply put, it certainly was defeated just because of the complexity of the mark.In principle, the same thing and says the official version.
Perhaps Methodius - the creator of the Slavic alphabet of this model?Most likely, it is not.Memoirs of contemporaries say that to create a new script (even if based on Greek) could only Kirill.Methodius was an excellent organizer, but without his brother, he would be unlikely to be able to do something like that.
What books were translated into a new script?
Whoever created the Cyrillic and Glagolitic, its primary purpose must have been education and treatment in a single orthodox faith of all Slavic peoples.Anyway, Saints Cyril and Methodius translated the first is gospel-Aprakos Apostle-Aprakos, Psalter.Most likely, they are also transferred to the Cyrillic alphabet and Paremiynik.
As the "Life", Cyril began translating the Holy Scriptures as the Old Bulgarian.In general, everything is simple: any enlightened priest "on the ground" in the first instance sought to translate into understandable and accessible writing, first of all, the sacred books, to make the faith more accessible.Incidentally, the above-mentioned Church Slavonic alphabet certainly has no relation to the brothers, since it is clearly established in the Slavic churches.
Transformation Cyrillic writing and speech
Some "gifted" people often say that the Russian language has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and now it is artificially distorted and spoiled.Of course, a sharp increase in the number of English terms that are quite clearly synonymous in our language, is not a good thing.
But here's the phrase said about the 10th century (in a modern transcription, of course): "On the Russian Zelma already over shelomyanem Thou."Do you understand?Is that a combination of "Russian land".Meanwhile, in this passage states the following: "the Russian land disappeared over the hill", "Russian land disappeared, as if covered with helmets."In fact, our ancestors were not so long ago, just before Peter I, spoke a language that we understand today only with difficulty.Add to this the fact that many of the old Slavic alphabet letters have no transcription into modern language!
And all this is due to the fact that the Russian language perfectly modified, rapidly changing under the influence of environmental factors, but it is quality and clear means of verbal and written communication.However, about the same can be said about any naming, which now communicates at least three to four million people worldwide.
Conclusions
Remember that the failure of language and writing absorb and assimilate new words and concepts testifies to his death.In Latin, now says more than one million doctors, biologists and lawyers, but he's dead.He does not change, it does not appear the new rules.
Whoever the creators of the Slavic alphabet, to their credit - brilliant writing system, each letter of which originally carried a multiple sense, having a simple and clear outline.In addition, this is the script for centuries has stood the test, is actively changing and continuing to serve as a communication tool of millions of people worldwide.
To sum up, we must say that Cyril and Methodius - not only the names of the holy brothers, who created the Slavic alphabet, but the names of prominent thinkers who are really able to unite the Slavic peoples, giving them a common writing system.
