John the Exarch (also transcribed Joan Ekzarh; ) was a medieval

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

scholar, writer and translator, one of the most important men of letters working at the

Preslav Literary School The Preslav Literary School ( bg, Преславска книжовна школа), also known as the Pliska Literary School or Pliska-Preslav Literary school was the first literary school in the medieval Bulgarian Empire. It was established by ...

at the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century. He was active during the reign of

Boris I Boris I, also known as Boris-Mihail (Michael) and ''Bogoris'' ( cu, Борисъ А҃ / Борисъ-Михаилъ bg, Борис I / Борис-Михаил; died 2 May 907), was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889. At ...

(852–889) and his son Simeon I (893–927). His most famous work is the compilation ''Shestodnev'' (Шестоднев –

Hexameron The term Hexameron (Greek: Ἡ Ἑξαήμερος Δημιουργία ''Hē Hexaēmeros Dēmiourgia'') refers either to the genre of theological treatise that describes God's work on the six days of creation or to the six days of creation thems ...

) that consists of both translations of earlier Byzantine authors and original writings. He's canonized in the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

and his memory is honoured on the . In a manuscripts of the Gospels, held in the

National Library of Serbia The National Library of Serbia ( sr, Народна библиотека Србије, Narodna biblioteka Srbije) is the national library of Serbia, located in the capital city of Belgrade. It is the biggest library, and oldest institution in Ser ...

, an alternative date is given, namely — .

Life

Evidence about his life is scarce but his literary legacy suggests an excellent knowledge of

Greek language Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...

. It is therefore assumed that John the Exarch received his education in 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 ...

. Some historians assume that his sobriquet "the Exarch" means that he was the

Archbishop of Bulgaria In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

. Others suggest that this was not an bishopric rank. There are also theories that identify John the Exarch with

Chernorizets Hrabar Chernorizets Hrabar ( chu, Чрьнори́зьць Хра́бръ, ''Črĭnorizĭcĭ Hrabrŭ'', bg, Черноризец Храбър)Sometimes modernized as ''Chernorizetz Hrabar'', ''Chernorizets Hrabr'' or ''Crnorizec Hrabar'' was a Bulgarian ...

or with

John of Rila Saint John of Rila, a.k.a. Ivan of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец, Svеti prеpodobni Yoan Rilski Chudotvorеts; English: Saint (monk) John of Rila the Wondermaker) (876 – c. 946) was ...

.1 ноември – ден на св. Иван Рилски и народните будители
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Literary activities

John the Exarch's literary work includes a number of translations of medieval Byzantine authors, the most important of which is the translation, around 895, of ''On Orthodox Christianity'' by the Byzantine theologian

John of Damascus John of Damascus ( ar, يوحنا الدمشقي, Yūḥanna ad-Dimashqī; gr, Ἰωάννης ὁ Δαμασκηνός, Ioánnēs ho Damaskēnós, ; la, Ioannes Damascenus) or John Damascene was a Christian monk, priest, hymnographer, and a ...

. He is also the author of several original works and compilations, the most important whereof is the compilation ''Шестоднев'' (''Shestodnev''). The compilation includes parts of the works of several Byzantine authors, most notably

Basil the Great Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Ca ...

, as well as original parts which give valuable first-hand evidence about the Bulgarian Empire under Simeon I (893–927). John the Exarch describes the royal palace and the Bulgarian ruler that includes information about his attire, the boyars, the social stratification of the Bulgarian society and like matters.

Citations

References

Monographs

* Калайдович, К. Иоанн ексарх болгарский. Москва (1824) * Архимандрит Панарет, Животът на Йоана Екзарха Български, Станимака (1914) * Иванова-Мирчева, Д., Йоан Екзарх Български, Слова, т. 1, София (1974) * Бонов, А. Възгледите за вселената на Йоан Екзарх български. София (1982) * Чолова, Ц., Естественонаучните знания в средновековна България, София, изд. БАН (1988) * Баранкова, Г. С., В. В. Мильков. Шестоднев Иоанна екзарха Болгарского. Санкт Петербург (2001) * Трендафилов, Хр. Йоан Екзарх Български. София (2001)

Articles

* Vondrák, V., O mluvě Jana Exarcha bulharského, Praha, p. 40–92, p. 95–97 (1896) * Трифонов, Ю., Сведения из старобългарския живот в "Шестоднева" на Йоан Екзарх, Списание на БАН, т. 35, с. 1–26 (1926) * Мавродинов, Н., Описание на Преслав в Шестоднева на Йоан Екзарх, ИП, кн. 3, с. 66–76 (1955) * Миятев, К., Два поетични фрагмента у Йоан Екзарх като исторически извори, Археология, кн. 1–2, с. 9–16 (1959) * Хаджиолов, А., Йоан Екзарх Български като учен и философ, основоположник на българското естествознание, Проблеми на природата, кн. 8, с. 177 (1978) * Боев, П., Йоан Екзарх Български – първият наш антрополог, Проблеми на природата, кн. 9 с. 317 (1978) * Борисов, М., А. Ваврек, В. Кусев, "Йоан Екзарх – първият разпространител на знания в областта на физическите науки у нас", Физика, кн. 1, с. 14–28 (1983) * Борисов, М., А. Ваврек, Г. Камишева, "Йоан Екзарх Български – пръв разпространител на физически знания у нас", Предшественици на разпространението и развитието на физическите знания в България, София, Народна просвета (1985) с. 5–65 * Чолова, Ц., Върховната власт и управлението в средновековната българска държава по времето на Симеон, отразени в "Шестоднева" на Йоан Екзарх, Известия на Института по история, т. 27, с. 216–235 (1985)

Life

Literary activities

Citations

References

Monographs

Articles

See also