Saints Cyril and Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs
The holy equal-to-the-apostles brothers laid the foundations of Slavic literacy and culture in the 9th century.
May 24/11—Today marks the traditional date on which the Church commemorates the Holy Equals-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, enlighteners of the Slavic peoples and creators of the Slavic script.
Origin and Early Years
The holy brothers were born in the Byzantine city of Thessalonica (modern-day Thessaloniki in Greece) into the family of a military commander named Leo. Constantine was born around 827, and his older brother Methodius around 815. Their father held a high position in the imperial administration, which ensured the children received an excellent education.
The younger brother, Constantine, showed exceptional talent for sciences and languages from an early age. He received a brilliant education in Constantinople, studying philosophy, dialectics, rhetoric, mathematics, and astronomy. For his erudition, he was given the nickname "The Philosopher." Methodius initially pursued a military career and for some time governed a Slavic province, which gave him knowledge of Slavic languages and customs.
Monastic Life and Missionary Work
Both brothers embraced monasticism in their mature years. Methodius became the abbot of the Polychron Monastery on the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara, while Constantine taught philosophy in Constantinople and participated in theological debates.
In 860, the brothers were sent by Emperor Michael III on a religious mission to the Khazar Khaganate. Later, in 863, they received a special commission to go to Great Moravia at the request of Prince Rastislav, who had asked for teachers able to preach in the Slavic language.
Mission in Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a medieval Slavic state that existed in the 9th–10th centuries in what is now the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and parts of Hungary, Poland, and Austria. Today, these lands are mainly within the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where Cyril and Methodius are especially revered as national saints and enlighteners. The historical region of Moravia is now the eastern part of the Czech Republic, with Brno as its center.
Creation of the Slavic Alphabet
In preparation for the Moravian mission, the brothers created the first Slavic alphabet – the Glagolitic script, based on Greek writing but adapted to convey the sounds of Slavic speech. They translated major liturgical books into the Slavic language: the Gospels, Epistles, Psalter, and other church texts.
Their mission in Moravia lasted for more than three years. They taught the Slavic written language, conducted services in the Slavic tongue, and ordained priests from among the local population. However, their efforts met resistance from German clergy, who insisted on the exclusive use of Latin in worship.
Final Years and Legacy
In 867, the brothers traveled to Rome to seek the support of Pope Adrian II for their mission. The Pope approved their work and blessed the books they had translated. Constantine took monastic vows under the name Cyril and died in Rome on February 14, 869, at the age of just 42. Methodius was ordained Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, continued his missionary efforts, and died on April 6, 885.
Thanks to the work of Cyril and Methodius, the Slavic peoples were able to learn the Christian faith in their native language, which greatly contributed to the spread of literacy and cultural development. Their disciples brought the Slavic script to Bulgaria, from where it spread to Serbia, Rus’, and other Slavic lands.
The Feast of the Holy Equals-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius is celebrated on May 24/11 and is one of the important feasts in the Orthodox Church calendar. In some Slavic countries, this day is also celebrated as a national holiday of literacy and culture.
