Agathonice ( gr, Ἀγαθονίκη, Agathonikē) or Agathonicea ( gr, Ἀγαθονίκεια, Agathonikeia) was a town and bishopric in

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

during the Middle Ages. It remains a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

History

Agathonice is most likely to be identified with the modern settlement of Oryahovo in southern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. It is first mentioned in the Suleymanskyoy Inscription, which lists the terms of the Byzantine–Bulgarian treaty of 815, among the border towns between the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

and the

Bulgar Khanate The First Bulgarian Empire ( cu, блъгарьско цѣсарьствиѥ, blagarysko tsesarystviye; bg, Първо българско царство) was a medieval Bulgar- Slavic and later Bulgarian state that existed in Southeastern Europ ...

. In 1095, during his campaign against the

Cumans The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many so ...

, Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

came to the town.

Orthodox see

The town is attested as a bishopric, as the first among the suffragan sees of the

metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a ...

of Philippopolis, in the ''

Notitiae Episcopatuum The ''Notitiae Episcopatuum'' (singular: ''Notitia Episcopatuum'') are official documents that furnish Eastern countries the list and hierarchical rank of the metropolitan and suffragan bishoprics of a church. In the Roman Church (the -mostly Lat ...

'' of the

Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...

from the 10th to the 12th century. Only one bishop, Basil, is known, from the second half of the 11th century. Agathonicea remains a

of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Until 1860, it was often a title given to an auxiliary bishop to the Metropolitan of Philippopolis, who resided at the town of Tatar Pazardzhik. The most recent incumbents were: * Bishop

Orestes Chornock In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; grc-gre, Ὀρέστης ) was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and the brother of Electra. He is the subject of several Ancient Greek plays and of various myths connected with his madness and ...

, 18.9.1938–17.2.1977 (†) (titular Metropolitan since 1966), Auxiliary Bishop of the

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Archbishop On May 11, 2019, the church's Hol ...

for the

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America (ACROD) is a diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate with 78 parishes in the United States and Canada. Though the diocese is directly responsible to the Patriarchate, it is under th ...

* Metropolitan Apostolos Daniilidis, 26.11.1995–4.9.2000 In the 20th century, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church also began appointing titular bishops of Agathonicea: * Bishop , 28.11.1982–31.3.2005 (†) * Bishop , since 22.3.2008

Catholic titular see

The diocese was nominally restored as a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

in the 18th century. Its incumbents were: * Ferdinand Oesterhoff, O. Cist. (1723.12.20 – 1748.10.22) *

Jean-Baptiste Lamy Jean-Baptiste Lamy (October 11, 1814 – February 13, 1888), was a French-American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Willa Cather's novel ''Death Comes for the Archbishop'' is based on his life ...

(1850.07.23 – 1853.07.29) (later Archbishop) * Pasquale Pagnucci (林奇愛), O.F.M. (1867.04.15 – 1901.01.29) * William Brasseur, C.I.C.M. (1948.06.10 – death 1993.02.01),

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Chur ...

of Mountain Provinces (Philippines) (1948.06.10 – 1981.11.07)

References

{{reflist Catholic titular sees in Europe Populated places of the Byzantine Empire Geography of medieval Thrace Defunct dioceses of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Titular sees in Europe