clement of ohrid

Saint Clement of Ohrid (ca. 840 - 916) was a medieval Bulgarian scholar and writer, the first Bulgarian archbishop. Evidence about his life before his arrival in Bulgaria is scarce but according to his hagiography by St. Theophylactus of Ohrid, Clement was born in southwestern Bulgaria. As a disciple of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, Clement participated in the mission of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. After the death of Cyril, Clement accompanied Methodius from Rome to Panonia and Great Moravia. After the death of Methodius himself 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 Bulgaria together with Naum of Preslav, Sava, Angelarius and maybe Gorazd (according to other sources, Gorazd was already dead by that time). The five (four) of them were afterwards sent to the Bulgarian capital of Pliska where they were commissioned by Boris I of Bulgaria to teach and instruct the future clergy of the state into 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 Slavonic language as a way to preserve the political independence and stability of Bulgaria. With a view thereto, Boris made arrangements for the establishment of two literary schools (academies) where the Slavonic language was to be taught. The first of the schools was to be founded in the capital, Pliska, and the second one in the region of Kutmichevitza (present-day western Macedonia). While Naum of Preslav stayed in Pliska working on the foundation of the Pliska Literary School, Clement was sent by Boris to Ohrid in Kutmichevitza with the commission to organise the teaching of Old Church Slavonic there. For a period of seven years - between 886 and 893 - Clement taught the Slavonic language and the Glagolitic alphabet to some 3,500 disciples. In 893 he was ordained archbishop of Drembica (Velika), also in Kutmichevitza. Upon his death in 916 he was buried in the church of the Saint Pantaleimon near Ohrid. Saint Clement of Ohrid was one of the most prolific and important writers in Old Bulgarian (the Bulgarian version/redaction of Old Church Slavonic). He is credited with the Panonic Hagiography of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. Clement also translated the Flower Triode containing church songs sung from Easter to Pentecost and is believed to be the author of the Holy Service and the Life of St. Clement, the Roman Pope, as well as of the oldest service dedicated to St. Cyril and St. Methodius. The invention of the Cyrillic alphabet is also usually ascribed to him although the alphabet is most likely to have developed gradually under strong Byzantine influence at the Preslav Literary School at the beginning of the 10th century (for more information, see Cyrillic alphabet). The first modern Bulgarian university, Sofia University, was named after Clement upon its foundation in 1888.

Clement Of Ohrid

See also