ON THE HOLY MARTYRS MANUEL, GEORGE, PETER, LEO, Bishops; PARODUS, Priest; JOHN, LEO, Tribunes; GABRIEL, SIONIUS, together with 377 OTHERS, and many more, in Bulgaria.
About the year 818.
PrefaceManuel, Bishop, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) George, Bishop, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Peter, Bishop, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Leo, Bishop, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Parodus, Priest, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) John, Tribune, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Leo, Tribune, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Gabriel, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Sionius, Martyr in Bulgaria (S.) Other 377, and very many others, Martyrs in Bulgaria
From various sources.
[1] Theophanes, in book 24 of the Mixed History, continuing the events of his own time, writes in chapter 25 of the terrible slaughter inflicted upon the Christians by Crunnus (whom others call Crumus), leader of the Bulgars, on 26 July, Indiction 4, year of Christ 811, in which the Emperor Nicephorus himself, surrounded by the enemy, fell with the chief nobles. The Bulgars, having killed the Emperor Nicephorus. The head of Nicephorus was cut off and suspended, then stripped and used as a drinking cup. Stauracius, the son of Nicephorus, wounded in the battle, did not long survive. For in the same year Michael Curopalates was acclaimed Emperor on 5 October, Indiction 5, chapter 29, who on 7 June, year of Christ 812, went out against the Bulgars, they capture many cities: since Crunnus, leader of the Bulgars, had taken Debeldus by siege and had transported those who were in it, together with the Bishop, to Bulgaria, chapter 33. Debeldus is the city called by Ptolemy in book 3, chapter 11, Develtus — a city and colony of Thrace on the borders of Mysia and the Euxine Sea; called Dibaltum by Ammianus; below in the Menaia, Deboltum: whose Archbishop, or as it is written in Greek, archiereus, S. George, was then led thence to martyrdom with others in Bulgaria. "But the Bulgars," says Theophanes in chapter 34, "further strengthened, prevailed against Thrace and Macedonia. Then also Anchialus and Beroea and Nicaea and the fortress of Probatus, and the Christians, abandoning them, fled." There is a double Nicaea in Thrace according to Stephanus. S. Leo the Bishop governed the other one, and was afterwards crowned with martyrdom together with the rest.
[2] In the following year, 813, on 23 May, in a battle fought not far from Adrianople, Michael Curopalates was defeated by Crunnus and not unwillingly yielded the sovereignty, with Leo the Armenian succeeding, who was crowned by the Patriarch Nicephorus on 12 July, they defeat the Emperor Michael: a Monday, Indiction 6, since the sun had been eclipsed before 4 May, as if abhorring the impiety of Leo. Meanwhile Crunnus was pressing the siege of Adrianople; and having left his brother at the siege, he himself advanced all the way to the city of Constantinople, on the sixth day of the reign of Leo, devastating widely with fire and plunder everything in his path: returning, he took the besieged Adrianople; they besiege Adrianople, as Theophanes reports, concluding his history with these words. Adrianople is still an illustrious city of Thrace on the river Hebrus; whose Bishop, in the exposition of the Elder Emperor Andronicus Palaeologus, is called "the most holy Metropolitan of Adrianople and the most honored Prelate of Haemimontus": in which manner S. Manuel, its Bishop, is called in the Menaia "the great Archbishop," and by John Curopalates simply "the Archbishop," in whose compendium of histories his captivity and death are narrated thus.
[3] After Crumus, Prince of the Bulgars, puffed up with his victories against the Romans, they capture it: besieged Adrianople — so that no force dared resist him, because on account of the success we have mentioned he was intolerable — and had reduced the city by a prolonged siege to such a pass that it accepted the terms of surrender due to the want of necessities, he transferred all who were in the city, including Archbishop Manuel, to Bulgaria. At that time therefore, together with others, the parents of the Emperor (Basil the Macedonian) were also carried away, the captives are led away, bearing with them their infant son still at the breast, into the region of the Bulgars: where the illustrious Archbishop himself and the parents of the Emperor, preserving their uncorrupted faith in Christ, converted very many of the Bulgars to the orthodox faith, they convert many Bulgars: since that nation had not yet been brought to the true worship of God, and they sowed the seeds of Christian teaching in very many places of Bulgaria. But death overtook Crumus.
[4] His successor Cutragon, far surpassing his predecessor in cruelty, not ignorant of what had been done and gradually perceiving that the Bulgarian people was being drawn to the worship of the Christians, blazed with great anger; therefore some are variously harassed and commanded the holy Archbishop Manuel, together with those distinguished men who were with him, to present themselves before him, not without great wrath; and first he attempted to divert them from the orthodox and blameless Christian faith with smooth and gentle words. But when he found them too noble they are crowned with martyrdom: to be overcome by promises or threats, he first had them severely beaten and then saw to it that they were killed by the death of martyrdom. And the illustrious Archbishop Manuel, together with those distinguished men who were with him, ended his life by a glorious martyrdom; and many of his kinsmen also were deemed worthy of the glory of martyrdom.
[5] And when it was time for the remaining captives to return to their homeland, since their return was being prepared for them by God; the others are released. the Prince of the Bulgars, repeatedly defeated and no longer able to resist the Roman forces, made peace and freed the captives. When these had recently been assembled and were about to return to their native seats, the Prince was surveying the captives: and happening to notice the boy Basil, who, having now left childhood, was beginning to reach puberty, he called him to himself, etc.
[6] Cedrenus narrates the same things, and Zonaras about the capture of Adrianople and the infant Basil carried into exile with his parents. But both write that when Basil returned home he had passed from childhood to adolescence, perhaps eight or nine years old. For, as the same writers report, Martagon, Prince of the Bulgars, had made a thirty-year truce with Leo the Armenian, When these events occurred. who was murdered by Michael the Stammerer on Christmas Day itself, year of Christ 820. From this it is clear that these Martyrs for the faith of Christ died before these truces were made. Baronius also treats of these Martyrs in the Ecclesiastical Annals, volume 9, year 813, number 7, and says that in the Menologion of the Emperor Basil the following was noted for 20 January: "Of the holy Martyrs Manuel, George, Leo, and their companions, killed by the Bulgars." Under the principate of Leo the Armenian, Crunnus, Prince of the Bulgars, coming with a great army to Adrianople in Thrace, captured it by right of war, the death of S. Manuel, and with the city he also took the holy Bishop Manuel; whose hands he first amputated from his shoulders, then cut him in two with a sword and threw him to the wild beasts to be devoured. Crunnus was then struck blind on account of his sin, and incurring the hatred of his own people, was strangled with cords by them. But Zocus, his most impious successor, having assumed the rule of the Bulgars, assembled all the Christian captives — generals, priests, deacons, and laity — and of the others, and when he tried to force them to deny the faith of Christ and they would not yield, he had them cruelly butchered after afflicting them with various torments. But in the Menaia and in Maximus of Cythera, their feast is celebrated on this 22nd of January, from which we give the following eulogy.
ACTS FROM THE GREEK MENAIA.
From the Menaia.
By the sword Manuel is divided into two parts, Honoring the two undivided natures of Christ. Names of these Saints, George and Peter, who share one faith, Fall together for the same Lord. Leo's spirit remains unbroken in eagerness, Though the sword cuts open his belly. Fear of the sword drawn near the neck Is far from Gabriel, and far from Sionius. Truly, not fearing the sword, the Strategoi — Noble John and Leo. Parodus, overwhelmed by stones thrown by hand, Sweetly completed the journey of life. Five times sixty the sword slew, And joined to them seventy-seven.
These were from various prefectures and places, and they dwelt at Adrianople. The Bulgars, however, ungrateful and forgetful of all benefits, made an assault upon the Roman Empire, These were captives, and laid waste its borders: and from Thrace and Macedonia they led many captives away in chains, and making raids all the way to the royal city itself, they came to Adrianople and, having besieged it for three days, captured it. These things were done during the reign of the impious Leo the Armenian, under Crumus, the leader of the Bulgars; who, having taken the city, expelled forty thousand from it, under various leaders of the Bulgars, among whom was the most holy Bishop, whom he seized by the throat, dashed to the ground, and trampled with his feet. When Crumus's life was cut short, Ducumus succeeded him in the principate. When he too was soon extinct, Ditzengus was proclaimed Prince of the Bulgars, a cruel and savage tyrant. He cut the great Archbishop Manuel in two, and threw his severed hands and shoulders to the dogs to be devoured: but he was soon struck with blindness and was himself taken from the midst of men by his own servants. Murtagon, having then obtained the principate, killed all Christians who refused to deny Christ; cruelly killed: some by chains and torments, others first subjected to savage cruelties. He ordered the holy Archbishop of Deboltum, George, and Bishop Peter to be first inhumanly lacerated with rods and then beheaded, just as he subjected the remaining three hundred seventy-seven to the penalty of the sword: and also another Leo and John, Tribunes, or military Prefects, of the Christians. To the holy Leo, Bishop of Nicaea, born a eunuch, he cut open the belly with a sword. He struck down Gabriel and Sionius with the sword. He commanded the most religious Priest Parodus to be crushed with stones, and put to death many others by various tortures. And not only the impious Murtagon, but other leaders who afterwards governed the Bulgars and others afterwards. delivered many Christians to death, afflicting them with various torments.
Notes