57. LIFE OF CONSTANTINE[-CYRIL]
8. And then to the Greek Emperor came emissaries from the Khazars,
saying: “From the beginning we have known one God who is above all, and
worshipped Him facing east. However, we keep other shameful customs. The Jews
exhort us to accept their faith and ways, while on the other hand the Saracens,
offering us peace and many gifts, press us, saying: ‘Our faith is better than
that of all other peoples.’ Maintaining our former love and friendship, we
therefore have come to you. For you are a great people and your empire is from
God. And in requesting your counsel, we ask of you a learned man. Should he
prevail over the Jews and Saracens, we shall accept your faith.”
Then the Emperor sought the Philosopher and, after finding him,
told him of the Khazars’ words, saying: “Philosopher, go to these people,
preach and answer for the Holy Trinity with Its help. For no one else is
capable of doing this properly.”
He said: “If you command, lord, on such a mission I shall gladly
go on foot and unshod, lacking all the Lord forbade His disciples to bring.”
The Emperor answered, saying: “Well spoken; were you to do this!
But bear in mind the imperial power and honor, and go honorably and with
imperial help.”
He immediately set out on his way. After coming to Kherson, he
learned the Hebrew language and scriptures and translated eight parts of the
grammar, from which he acquired understanding. A certain Samaritan living there
would come to Constantine and debate with him. And he brought Samaritan
scriptures and showed them to him. The Philosopher asked him for them, locked
himself in his room and gave himself up to prayer. And having obtained
understanding from God, he began to read the scriptures without error. When the
Samaritan saw this, he cried out in a loud voice and said: “Verily, those who
believe in Christ quickly receive Grace and the Holy Spirit.” His son was
baptized immediately and he himself was baptized after him.
And Constantine found there the Gospels and the Psalter written in
Russian letters. And he also found a man who spoke that language. And having
conversed with him and acquiring the power of his speech by comparing it to his
own language, he distinguished letters, vowels and consonants, and offering a
prayer to God, he soon began to read and speak. And they were amazed at him and
praised God.
And when he heard that St. Clement was still lying in the sea, he
prayed and said: “I believe in God and place my hope in St. Clement, that I
shall find him and take him from the sea.”
After persuading the Archbishop, they boarded a ship with all the
clergy and pious men and set out for that spot. A great calm came over the sea
and they arrived and began to dig, chanting. And immediately a strong fragrance
arose as if there were many censers, and then the holy relics appeared. To the
glory of all the townsmen, they raised them with great reverence and carried
them into the city, as Constantine writes in his Discovery.
A Khazar commander came with his troops, surrounded a certain
Christian city, and laid siege to it. Upon learning of this, the Philosopher
went to him without hesitation. Conversing with him, he imparted his edifying
words and calmed him. He promised Constantine to be baptized.
The Philosopher continued on his way. And while he was reciting
the prayer of the first hour, Hungarians fell upon him howling like wolves and
wishing to kill him. But he was not frightened and did not forsake his prayers,
crying out only, “Lord, have mercy!” for he had already completed the office.
Seeing him, they were calmed by God’s design and began to bow to him. And upon
hearing edifying words from his lips, they released him and his entire retinue
in peace.
9. Having boarded a ship, Constantine set out for the land of the
Khazars by way of the Meotis Sea and Caspian Gates of the Caucasus Mountains.
The Khazars sent a cunning and resourceful man to meet him, who entered into
conversation with him and said to him: “Why do you follow the evil custom of
replacing one emperor with another of a different lineage? We do this only
according to lineage.”
The Philosopher said to him: “Yet in place of Saul, who did
nothing to please Him, God chose David, who was pleasing to Him, and David’s
lineage.”
And furthermore the Khazar said: “Why is it you hold the
Scriptures in hand, and recite all parables from it? However, we do not do so,
but take all wisdom from the heart as though it were absorbed. We do not pride
ourselves in writing as you do.”
And the Philosopher said to him: “I shall answer you in regard to
this. If you meet a naked man and he says: ‘I have many garments and gold,’
would you believe him, seeing him naked?”
He said: “No.”
Then Constantine said to him: “So I say unto you. If you have
absorbed all wisdom as you boast, tell me how many generations are there from
Adam to Moses, and how many years did each generation endure?”
Unable to answer this, the Khazar fell silent.
When Constantine came for the feast at the Kagan’s and they wished
to seat him, they questioned him, saying: “What is your station so that we may
seat you according to your rank?”
And he said: “I had a great and very renowned forefather who stood
close to the Emperor. But he voluntarily rejected the great honor granted him
and was banished. He became impoverished after going to a foreign land, and
there he begot me. Though I have sought my forefather’s former station, I have
not succeeded in obtaining it, for I am Adam’s scion.”
They then said: “O guest, you speak worthily and rightly.” And
from that moment they began to confer honor upon him.
Taking up his cup, the Kagan said: “Let us drink in the name of
the One God who made all creation.”
Taking up his cup, the Philosopher said: “I drink in the name of
the One God and His Word, who by His Word made all creation and through Whom
the heavens were established; and in the name of the life-giving Spirit through
Whom all their power exists.”
The Kagan answered him: “We say the same but maintain the
following difference: you glorify the Trinity, while we, having obtained
Scriptures, the One God.”
Then the Philosopher said: “The Scriptures proclaim the Word and
the Spirit. If someone renders honor unto you but will not honor your word and
spirit, whereas yet another will honor all three, which of the two renders
greater honor?”
He said: “The one who honors all three.”
And the Philosopher answered: “Thus, we do more by revealing it in
deeds and obeying the prophets. For Isaiah said: ‘Hearken unto me, O Jacob and
Israel, my called; I am the first, I am for ever. And now the Lord, and His
Spirit, hath sent me.’”
Then the Jews standing around Constantine said to him: “Tell us
now, how is it possible for a woman to bear God in her womb upon whom she may
not even look, let alone give birth to.”
And pointing his finger at the Kagan and his first counselor, the
Philosopher said: “If someone says: ‘The first counselor cannot entertain the
Kagan’ but furthermore says: ‘The latter’s lowest slave can entertain the Kagan
and render honor unto him,’ what are we to call him, tell me, insane or
sensible?”
And they said: “Very much insane.”
Then the Philosopher said to them: “Which of the visible creatures
is the most honored of all?”
They answered him: “Man, for he was created in the image of God.”
And again the Philosopher said to them: “Indeed, are they not
raving who say it is not possible for God to be contained in man, since He was
contained in the bush and in the cloud, in the whirlwind and smoke, having
appeared so to Moses and Job. Otherwise how can the sick be healed? For when
mankind comes to perdition, from whom can it further await renewal if not from
the very Creator Himself? Answer me! If a doctor wishes to apply a plaster to
the sick, would he or would he not apply it to a tree or to a stone? And will
he be able to heal a man by this?”
“And how could Moses in his prayer through the Holy Spirit say
with outstretched arms, ‘In the thunder of stones and in the voice of trumpets
reveal yourself unto us no more, merciful Lord, but having removed our sins,
abide inside us.’” For thus speaks Aquila. And thus they departed from the
feast after setting a day when they would speak about all this.…
[Constantine continues to dialogue with the Khazars, both Muslims
and Jews]
11. …At that time about two hundred of these people were baptized,
having cast off heathen abominations and lawless marriages. And the Kagan wrote
the following epistle to the Emperor: “Lord, you have sent us a man who in word
and deed has shown us that the Christian faith is holy. We are convinced it is
the true faith and, in the hope that we too shall attain it, we have commanded
all to be baptized voluntarily. We all are friends of your Empire and are at
your service wherever you require it.”
Seeing the Philosopher off, the Kagan offered him many gifts, but
he did not accept them, saying: “Give me as many Greek captives as you have
here. That means more to me than all your gifts.”
Having gathered about two hundred captives, they gave them to him.
And he went on his way, rejoicing.
[Constantine and his delegation return to Constantinople.]
14. While the Philosopher was rejoicing in God, yet another matter
arose, and a task no less than the former. For Rastislav, the Prince of
Moravia, through God’s admonition, took counsel with his Moravian princes and
appealed to Emperor Michael, saying: “Though our people have rejected paganism
and observe Christian law, we do not have a teacher who can explain to us in
our language the true Christian faith, so that other countries which look to us
might emulate us. Therefore, O lord, send us such a bishop and teacher; for
from you good law issues to all countries.” And having gathered his council,
the Emperor summoned Constantine the Philosopher and had him listen to this
matter. And he said: “Philosopher, I know that you are weary, but it is
necessary that you go there. For no one can attend to this matter like you.”
And the Philosopher answered: “Though I am weary and sick in body,
I shall go there gladly if they have a script for their language.”
Then the Emperor said to him: “My grandfather and my father, and
many others have sought this but did not find it. How then can I find it?”
And the Philosopher answered: “Who can write a language on water
and acquire for himself a heretic’s name?”
And together with his uncle, Bardas, the Emperor answered him
again: “If you wish, God may give you this as He gives to everyone that asks
without doubt, and opens to them that knock.”
The Philosopher went and, following his old habit, gave himself up
to prayer together with his other associates. Hearing the prayer of His
servants, God soon appeared to him. And immediately Constantine composed
letters and began to write the language of the Gospel, that is: “In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” and
so forth.
The Emperor rejoiced, and together with his counselors glorified
God. And he sent Constantine with many gifts, after writing the following
epistle to Rastislav: “God, who will have all men come unto the knowledge of
the truth and raise themselves to a greater station, having noted your faith
and struggles, arranged now, in our time, to fulfill your request and reveal a
script for your language, which did not exist in the beginning but only in
later times, so that you may be counted among the great nations that praise God
in their own language. Therefore, we have sent you the one to whom God revealed
this, a venerable and pious and very learned man, a philosopher. Thus, accept
this gift which is greater and more valuable than all gold and silver, precious
stones and transient riches. And strive zealously with him to strengthen his
work, and with all your heart to seek God. And do not reject universal
salvation. Convince all not to be idle, but to take the true path. So that,
having led them to divine understanding through your struggles, you too shall
receive your reward—both in this age and the next—for the souls of all who wish
to believe in Christ our God now and evermore. Thus shall you leave your memory
to future generations like the great Emperor Constantine.”
15. When Constantine arrived in Moravia, Rastislav received him
with great honor. And he gathered students and gave them over to Constantine
for instruction. As soon as all the church offices were accepted, he taught
them Matins and the Hours, Vespers and the Compline, and the Liturgy. And
according to the word of the prophet, the ears of the deaf were unstopped, the
Words of the Scriptures were heard, and the tongues of stammerers spoke clearly.
And God rejoiced over this, while the Devil was shamed.
Because God’s Word was spreading, the evil envier from the days of
creation, the thrice-accursed Devil, was unable to bear this good and entered
his vessels. And he began to rouse many, saying to them: “God is not glorified
by this. For if this were pleasing unto Him, could He not have ordained from
the beginning that they should glorify Him, writing their language in their own
script? But only three languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, were chosen as
appropriate for rendering glory unto God.”
These were the cohorts of the Latins speaking, archpriests,
priests, and their disciples. And having fought with them like David with the
Philistines, Constantine defeated them with words from the Scriptures, and
called them trilinguists, since Pilate had thus written the Lord’s title.
And this was not all they were saying, but they also were teaching
other impieties, saying: “Underground live people with huge heads; and all
reptiles are the creation of the Devil, and if one kills a snake, he will be
absolved of nine sins because of this. If one kills a man, let him drink from a
wooden cup for three months and not touch one of glass.” And they forbade
neither the offering of sacrifices according to the ancient custom, nor
shameful marriages.
Cutting all this down like thorns, Constantine burned them with
the fire of Scripture, saying: “Offer unto God a sacrifice of thanksgiving; and
pay thy vows unto the Most High. Send not away the wife of thy youth. For if
having begun to hate her, thou send her away, wickedness covers not thy lust,
saith the Lord Almighty. And take heed to your spirit, and let none leave the
wife of thy youth; and that which I hated ye have done, because the Lord hath
been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast forsaken:
Yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy covenant. And in the Gospel the
Lord says: ‘Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.’ And
furthermore: ‘But I say unto you: That whosoever shall put away his wife,
saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and
whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.’ And the
Apostle said: ‘What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.’”
Constantine spent forty months in Moravia, and then left to ordain
his disciples. On the way Kocel, Prince of Pannonia, received him and took a
great liking to the Slavic letters. He learned them himself, and gave him about
fifty students to be taught them. He rendered him great honor, and accompanied
him. But Constantine took neither gold nor silver nor other things from either
Rastislav or Kocel. He set down the word of the Gospel without sustenance,
asked only for nine hundred captives, and released them.
16. When he was in Venice, bishops, priests and monks gathered
against him like ravens against a falcon. And they advanced the trilingual
heresy, saying: “Tell us, O man, how is it that you now teach, having created
letters for the Slavs, which none else have found before, neither the Apostle,
nor the pope of Rome, nor Gregory the Theologian, nor Jerome, nor Augustine? We
know of only three languages worthy of praising God in the Scriptures, Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin.”
And the Philosopher answered them: “Does not God’s rain fall upon
all equally? And does not the sun shine also upon all? And do we not all
breathe air in the same way? Are you not ashamed to mention only three tongues,
and to command all other nations and tribes to be blind and deaf? Tell me, do
you render God powerless, that He is incapable of granting this? Or envious,
that He does not desire this? We know of numerous peoples who possess writing
and render glory unto God, each in its own language. Surely these are obvious:
Armenians, Persians, Abkhazians, Iberians, Sogdians, Goths, Avars, Turks,
Khazars, Arabs, Egyptians, and many others. If you do not wish to understand
this, at least recognize the judgment of the Scriptures. For David cries out,
saying: ‘O sing unto the Lord, all the earth: sing unto the Lord a new song.’
And again: ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud
noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.’ And likewise: ‘Let all the earth worship
Thee, and sing unto Thee; let it sing to Thy name, God on High.’ And
furthermore: ‘O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. Let
every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.’ And in the Gospel according to
John it says: ‘But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the
children of God.’ And again in the same Gospel: ‘Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also which shall believe in Me through their word, that
they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee.’
And Matthew said: ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven, and on
earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of time. Amen.’
And Mark says again: ‘Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he
that believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that
believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues.’
And unto you also is said, teachers of the law: ‘Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against
men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering
to go in.’
And furthermore: ‘Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away
the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering
in, ye hindered.’
And Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘I would that ye all spake with
tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth,
than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may
receive edifying…
[Constantine continues the long citation from 1 Corinthians 14]
…And with these words and many more, he shamed them and went away,
leaving them.
17. Upon learning of Constantine, the Pope of Rome sent for him.
And when he came to Rome, the Apostolic Father himself, Hadrian and all the
townspeople came out to meet him, carrying candles. For he was carrying the
relics of St. Clement the Martyr and Pope of Rome. And at once God wrought
glorious miracles for his sake: a paralytic was healed, and many others were
cured of various maladies. And even captives were at once liberated from the
hands of their captors when they invoked Christ and St. Clement.
Accepting the Slavic Scriptures, the Pope placed them in the
Church of St. Mary called Phatne. And the holy liturgy was celebrated over
them. Then the Pope commanded two bishops, Formosus and Gauderich, to
consecrate the Slavic disciples. And when they were consecrated they at once
celebrated the liturgy in the Slavic language in the Church of the Apostle
Peter. And the next day they celebrated in the Church of St. Petronilla, and on
the following day in the Church of St. Andrew. And then they celebrated the
entire night, glorifying God in Slavic once again in the Church of the Apostle
Paul, the great universal teacher. And in the morning they again celebrated the
liturgy over his blessed grave with the help of Bishop Arsenius, one of the
seven bishops, and of Anastasius the librarian…
18. And his many labors overtook him, and he fell ill. Enduring
his illness for many days, he once had a divine revelation and began to chant
the following: “When they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord,
my spirit rejoiced, and my heart was gladdened.”
Having put on his venerable garments, he thus spent that entire
day rejoicing and saying: “Henceforth I am neither a servant of the Emperor nor
of anyone else on earth, but only of God Almighty. I was not, and I came to be,
and am forever. Amen.”
On the following day he put on holy monastic dress and, receiving
light to light, called himself Cyril. He spent fifty days in that dress. And
when the hour to repose and remove to the eternal dwellings approached, he
raised his arms to God and, in tears, prayed, saying thus: “O Lord, my God, who
hast created all the ranks of angels and incorporeal powers, stretched out the
heavens and founded the earth, and brought all things into being from
non-being, who hast always heeded those that work Thy will, fear Thee and keep
Thy commandments, heed my prayer and preserve Thy faithful flock which Thou
appointed to me, Thy useless and unworthy servant. Deliver them from the
godless and heathen malice of those speaking blasphemy against Thee, and
destroy the trilingual heresy belief. Increase Thy church to a multitude,
gather all together in unanimity, and make a chosen people of those who are of
one mind in Thy true faith and just confession. And inspire in their hearts the
Word of Thy Son, for it is Thy gift. If Thou hast accepted us, unworthy ones,
to preach the Gospel of Thy Christ, then those who are striving for good deeds
and doing what pleases Thee, whom Thou hast given to me, I return to Thee as
Thine. Guide them with Thy firm right hand and shelter them with the cover of
Thy wings, so that all might praise and glorify Thy name, the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Amen.”
He kissed everyone with a holy kiss and said: “Blessed be God, who
hath not given us as prey into the teeth of our invisible enemies, but hath
smashed their snare and saved us from their corruption.” And thus he reposed in
the Lord at 42 years of age, on the 14th day of the month of February, of the
second indiction, the 6370th year from the creation of this world.
And the Apostolic Father commanded all Greeks residing in Rome, as
well as Romans, to gather with candles, chant over him and join his funeral
procession, as they would for the Pope himself. And this they did. Then
Methodius, his brother, entreated the Apostolic Father saying: “Our, mother
adjured us that the one of us first to pass away be brought to his brother’s
monastery to be buried there.”
And the Pope commanded that he be put into a coffin and that it be
nailed shut with iron nails. He kept him this way for seven days, preparing for
the journey. But the Roman bishops said to the Apostolic Father: “Though he
traveled through many lands, God led him here, and here He received his soul.
Thus, it is proper that he be buried here as a venerable man.”
Then the Apostolic Father said: “For the sake of his saintliness
and charity I shall transgress Roman custom and bury him in my tomb, in the
Church of the Holy Apostle Peter.”
And his brother said: “Since you do not heed me and do not give
him up, let him, if it pleases you, rest in the Church of St. Clement, for he
came here with him.”
And the Apostolic Father commanded that this be done. Gathering
again with all the people who wished to join the procession of honor, the
bishops said: “Let us unnail the coffin and see whether anything has been taken
from him.”
After much effort, they were unable to unnail the coffin, by God’s
command. And thus they put him with the coffin into a tomb to the right of the
altar in the Church of St. Clement, where many miracles began to occur. When
the Romans saw these miracles, they became even more attached to his
saintliness and honor. Painting his icon over the tomb, they began to light
candles over it day and night and praise God, who thus glorifies those who
glorify Him. Unto Him glory, honor, and reverence forever. Amen.