The Radish (Raphanus L.) in selected Sources from Antiquity and the Byzantine Period

Author(s): Maciej Kokoszko,Krzysztof Jagusiak,Jolanta Dybała / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

The article deals with the role of radish (Raphanus L.) in ancient and Byzantine world. The study is based on selected sources written between 5th/4th c. BC and 7th c. AD. Among them authors analyzed medical treatises composed by anonymous Hippocratic author (5th/4th c. BC), Galen (2nd – 3rd c. AD), Oribasius (4th c. AD), Aetius of Amida (6th c. AD), and Paul of Aegina (7th c. AD), botanical works written by Theophrastus (4th c. BC) and Dioscurides (1st c. AD), and a treatise of different (literary, antiquarian, historical, culinary) character made by Athenaeus of Naucratis in 2nd c. AD. The vegetable under study was a common and cheap food in ancient and Byzantine times, known in many varieties and eaten often by the poorest part of society. It was also widely used by physicians in healing illnesses of different etiology, used its warming, drying and cathartic properties.

Язык кыпчаков: попытка исторической характеристики

Author(s): Yaroslav V. Pylypchuk / Language(s): Russian Issue: 1/2018

This article is dedicated to the history of Qipchaq language. In this paper analyzing the question whether it is possible to consider the Turkic language of «Codex Cumaniсus» were lanlguage of Qipchaqs in the IX–XIII centuries. Vocabulary of Makhmud al-Kashgari was the only one dictionary which remained Qipchaq language of 11th century. Qipchaq language, other than vocabulary in this dictionary, presents of anthroponyms and ethnonyms in historical sources from different countries. Qipchaq language of 9th–13th centuries should have been closer to Oghuz language.

За произхода на търновския митрополит Теофил I (преди 1527, 1528, 1530 – ?)

Author(s): Ivan Tyutyundhziev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

The present article tries to elucidate the origins and activities of Theophilos I – an Archbishop of Tarnovo in the early 16th century. As a successor of the Tarnovo Patriarchate, which had existed before the Ottoman conquest of Bulgaria at the end of the 14th century, the city continued to play an important role in the Orthodox world. Therefore, Theophilos I took a very high position, which is obvious by the documents mentioning his name. Unfortunately, the information about him is scanty. There are few documents, found out mainly in the archives of the Mount Athos monasteries but they are limited to the period between 1527 and 1530. The origins of Theophilos is obscure. However, based on a new reading of an inscription in the monastery of Mylopotamos, where he had been a hieromonk prior to becoming an archbishop of Tarnovo, the author concludes that his native town was Arta in Epirus, Greece.

Вера Мутафчиева – явление в българската наука

Author(s): Krasimira Moutafova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

The article is devoted to Vera Mutafchieva – a real phenomenon both in modern Bulgarian historical knowledge and literature. Her researches focused on the Ottoman period on which she published dozens of articles, studies, monographies in Bulgarian and European journals. Vera Mutafchieva is also an author of popular historical novels which were translated into many languages. The author of the article presents her development and contributions for the Bulgarian historical knowledge as her main scholarly theses are revealed.

Бележки за българо-византийските отношения по времето на хан Тервел

Author(s): Dimo Cheshmedzhiev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

In the article the author makes an attempt to find answers to some controversial questions concerning Khan Tervel, such as when and under what circumstances his reign ended, who was his successor, what was the Bulgarian participation in the coup d’etat attempt in Byzantium in 718. Based on the main sources for the period and the studies of Bulgarian and foreign historians, the author presents different opinions and throws light on those questions which are examined in the context of the relations between Bulgaria and Byzantium.

Пленниците в българо-византийските отношения през VIII в.

Author(s): Yanko Hristov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

Not surprisingly, one can say that without attention to the captivity and the fate of prisoners of war studies concerning relations between Bulgarian khanate and Byzantine Empire hardly would have achieved considerable accomplishment. Along with this, however, as regards the monitoring of aspects about the fate of the war-captives in the VIII century it looks as if there are enough things to add. The very moment of those caught up in enemy’s hands, apart from not such a large number of references in early medieval written sources, is usually passed by. Such a condition of the historical database must have been taken into consideration in an effort to explore the issue of war-captives in struggles between Byzantium and Bulgaria at all. Despite the obstacle and difficulties an attempt to explore the issues of war-captives’ fate is motivated by the pulse, dynamics and changes or military successes and failures during the turbulent Byzantino-Bulgarian relations of the Early Medieval epoch.

Още веднъж за Роман Воила – един ромейски аристократ от български произход в борба за престола в Константинопол

Author(s): Simeon Antonov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2018

The 11th c. saw the rise of many men of relatively humble origin to the peaks of imperial power. One of them was Romanos Boïlas, Emperor Konstantinos IX Monomachos’ personal favourite, who almost succeeded in becoming his murderer and successor at the throne. He was certainly a man of some influence, even though it did not last for long. However, our sources for this character are rather biased and unreliable, which have long been ascertained by the scholars. Here we tried to give another insight into his personality, while, at the same time, offering some reasonable explanations for the bias of the Byzantine historians. For this purpose, an attempt is made to establish the correlations between their narratives. The conclusions concern the way Michael Psellos described his anonymous character, which greatly affected his later colleagues.

Rec. ad: David Nicolle. Cross and Crescent in the Balkans: The Ottoman Conquest of Southeastern Europe. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England: Pen and Sword Books Ltd., 2010. 256 pp.

Author(s): Peter Benbow / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

Архиепископските църковно-народни събори на Македонската православна църква, проведени в периода от 1968 до 1977 година

Author(s): Metropolitan of Tetovo and Gostivar Yosif / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2019

mmediately after the proclamation of the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) atthe Third Macedonian Church and People’s Council in Ohrid in 1967, in 1968, the Fourth Macedonian Church and People’s Council took place. In the years that followed, the Macedonian Orthodox Church did not hold a new churchpeople’s council. She did it only in October 1974 when the Fifth Macedonian Church and People’s Council was convened. After three years of that Council, in December 1977 the Sixth Macedonian Church and People’s Council of the Macedonian Orthodox Church was held. It is in the content of this paper that the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Macedonian ecclesiastical gatherings, i.e. the councils held in the period after the proclamation of autocephaly and in the years from 1968 to 1980, will be covered.

Варненската митрополия в историографските проучвания

Author(s): Ivan Tyutyundhziev,Nevyan Mitev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2019

The Ecclesiastical work in Varna started during the Late Antiquity when the Ancient city of Odessosbecame a bishopric centre and later on a metropolitan archdiocese. There is no explicit data that during the First Bulgarian state the city was a seat of a high clergyman. In the period 13th–14th century, Varna established itself as one of the most important cities in the country and a metropolitan archdiocese. The Ottoman invasion and the fact that the city was captured by the Turks didn’t influence upon the strategic significance of the city, which remained a metropolitan archdiocese during the whole Ottoman period. The eparchy of Varna and Veliki Preslav has been one of the biggestspiritual centres in the Bulgarian lands since the Liberation in 1878 up to nowadays. The institution that has been in existence for more than thousand years and its importance, requires a significant work on its history to be written. Currently, some attempts for fractional studies have been made, but still there is no common research on the history of the institution. The presented historiographical review in this research doesn’t pretend to be comprehensive. The most important researches on the development and the role of the metropolitan archdiocese of Varna during the centuries and some other researches related to the topic are presented in the research. The basic problems which have occurred throughout the years have been dealt upon.

Списание „Епохи“ като трибуна на етноложките изследвания

Author(s): Mariya Ivanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2019

The article is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the journal “Epochs” and to the published in it ethnological researches.

В памет на Пламен Събев (1960–2019)

Author(s): Nevena Nedelcheva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2019

„Османското присъствие“ в съвременните учебници по история – мит или реалност

Author(s): Yuliya Simeonova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2020

During the last few years, an attempt has been made in Bulgarian society to impose the con-tention that the Ottoman period is represented in the school history and civilizations textbooks through the definition “Ottoman Presence”. The present article seeks to provide a scientifically grounded review of the educational documentation concerning school history education, and in particular the history textbooks, to ascertain whether such a definition is present or absent

Българският преход в съвременните учебници по история и цивилизации

Author(s): Yuliya Simeonova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2020

The purpose of the study is to analyze the period of the Bulgarian transition in the modern studentbooks of History and civilizations for the 10th grade on several aspects: significant accents, the ratio of politics-economy-society-culture, multifaceted perspectives. This will assess the ability of new generation textbooks to help understand and analyze current processes, to prepare young people for social adaptation and realization.

„Стари“/„нови“ селища и административни центрове в османското провинциално управление: Ала кинисе/Осман пазар и Хоталич/Серви (Селви) (по османски документи от XV–XVІІ век)

Author(s): Krasimira Mutafova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

The study raises questions about the fate of the medieval Bulgarian fortresses and urban centers in the system of Ottoman provincial administration, which has repeatedly been discussed in Balkan and Ottoman studies. These debates are constantly related to the issues of continuity in the administration and ruling of the Bulgarian lands, evidenced in the territorial overlap of the medieval administrative structures with the new Ottoman ones, as well as in the names of the sanjaks, nahiyes and vilayets. One of the problems that is yet to be completely solved has to do with the medieval fortresses and settlements, registered with their pre-Ottoman names as important administrative centers in the system of Ottoman provincial administration (nahiyes, vilayets, kazas), but most likely destroyed during the conquest or earlier. New settlements are developing near them which have different names but the same administrative functions. Many of them are problematic to be localized, but for centuries, these “old” settlements and centers of power have been referred to in parallel with the “new” settlements as another name (nam-i diğer) for the respective administrative centers. The present study focuses on two of the examples of continuity and parallel designation of the “old”/“new” settlements – nahiye Ala Kinise (Kilisa)/ Osman Pazar and nahiye Hotaliç/ Servi (Selvi). These administrative-territorial units are typical of the Ottoman model of administration at local level, as well as regarding the presence of a particular continuity from the medieval Bulgarian state. The complex approach applied in the research and interpretation of the Ottoman register material allows us not only to trace the indications of continuity in the development of individual settlements, but also to understand the pre-Ottoman period of their existence within the medieval Bulgarian state. In a broader sense, it provides a real opportunity for a well-grounded reconstruction of the Ottoman model of power, demographic and economic control of the Bulgarian lands at local level.

Рим – империя на интегрираните елити

Author(s): Zhivko Zhekov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2022

One of the unique features of the Roman state-political model is the ability of Roman elites to integrate those of the conquered into their political, military, and social structures. This practice was unique for ancient societies and states, which, by conquering a territory, turn the conquered into a secondary social and economic factor that has no access to political and military power. The history of Rome is an example of how to build a powerful state through the constant gradual integration of conquered elites into institutions of power. The analysis of the policy pursued by the ruling Roman elite in relation to those conquered by the Romans shows that, over the centuries, they have followed the same political practice with varying intensity and some fluctuation. Roman history shows that, after a period of fierce military expansion and forcible subjugation, the Romans gradually shifted to a policy of integration, which in most cases was expressed in the gradual inclusion of local elites in the traditional Roman patron-client relations, and through them their involvement in Roman administrative and military institutions. After moving to live permanently in Rome, the most ambitious and intelligent representatives of these local elites gained access to Roman magistrates, and some of them even reached the highest Roman magistracies. In many cases, they even became one of the most influential politicians in ancient Rome during their time.

An Unexpected Aspect of Slavery?

Author(s): Kremena Markova / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2022

This article states the hypothesis of the social origin of two representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church clergy in the period between the 9th and 12th centuries. Bishop Sergii, who was a eunuch, took the Belgrade Bishopric during the rule of Knyaz Boris I. Mikhail, who was called Maxim, was a bishop of Ohrid in the 1120s. It is an indisputable fact that both of them were eunuchs, and this contradicts one of the basic rules of the Church about cheirotonia (ordination). It is specified in which cases persons with impaired “physical integrity” and disabilities were allowed to be elected and to hold senior Church positions. The sources analyzed point towards a slave origin of both of them. The author proposes the thesis that the ideal (desired) model of construction of the Eastern Orthodox Church has been corrected during its long-term history by practice through a real model, which, in some cases, radically contradicts the basic, declared rules.

Българските хайдути в контекста на хайдутството на Балканите (според фолклорните извори)

Author(s): Ivan Parvanov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2022

This article attempts to study Bulgarian hayduts (outlaws) in the context of haydutry in the Balkans by comparing Bulgarian and Balkan haydut folk songs. The aim of the research is to establish and explain the common and different moments in them in terms of themes, plots, and presentation of the main characters through their behaviour, actions, and the attitude of the folk artist to them. Based on that comparison, the common and different characteristics of Bulgarian and Balkan hayduts and the Bulgarian haydutry during the period of Ottoman rule are to be derived and indicated. The geographical area of the study covers the territories of today’s Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, and Romania.

Църковно строителство в Североизточна България през 50-те – 70-те години на ХІХ век

Author(s): Nevena Nedelcheva,Aldzhan Dzhafer / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2022

This report presents the construction of churches in Eski Juma, Osman Pazar, Hezargrad, and in several other settlements in the 1850s – 1870s. It also focuses on the procedures for building churches and on the reasons for their mass construction in the region under review during this period. The study analyzes the applications of the population, their reasons, and the ethnic composition of the settlements studied. In addition, the paper discusses issues concerning the construction of the churches themselves, their size, organization, and financing.

За стопанската дейност на Евстати Селвели през 1843 г.

Author(s): Veselin Goranchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2022

The article presents information about the economic activity of Eustati Selveli in 1843, a prominent Renaissance entrepreneur and public figure of the 19th century. It is a continuation of two previous publications that examined this activity of his in the period 1831–1842. In 1843, Eustati Selveli took active part in at least two business structures – the trading company called “Hadji Mincho Hadji Tsachev and Company,” founded together with Hadji Mincho hadji Tsachev, and the trading company called “Eustati Hadji Nikolaou Selveli and Company,” established together with Atanas hadji Nikolaou. Both were set up in 1841. The main part of the information presented in this article was acquired on the basis of Greek-language documents that are stored in the State Archives of Veliko Tarnovo and in the archives of the Regional Museum of History in Veliko Tarnovo. These include contracts concluded between Eustati Selveli and Atanas hadji Nikolaou, a commercial notebook that belonged to their partnership, and a personal notebook of Eustati Selveli. The indicated historical sources contain information about the material and financial condition of Eustati Selveli and about his joint business activity with Atanas hadji Nikolaou. The article presents information about the business partners of Eustati Selveli and Atanas hadji Nikolaou in the year under review; the items which the partners traded in and their prices; the monetary units they used when paying for supplies and their value equal to grosh (the local coin at the time); the ways of delivery of the goods, etc.