Medieval Sourcesonline from Manchester University Press

Medievalsources

Christian dualist heresies in the Byzantine world, c.650-c.1450 [Enter]
Selected sources translated and annotated
by Janet Hamilton and Bernard Hamilton
Assistance with the translation of the Old Slavonic texts
by Yuri Stoyanov

Christian dualism originated in Armenia in the mid-seventh century, when Constantine of Mananalis, basing his message solely on the New Testament, began to teach that there were two gods: the good God who had made men's souls, and the evil God who had created the entire physical universe including the human body. His followers, who became know as Paulicians, led perfectly normal lives, despite their belief that the world was evil, and were renowned as good fighting men.

A new form of Christian dualism, know as Bogomilism, developed in tenth-century Bulgaria, which combined a dualist belief system with an ascetic, world-renouncing life-style. Although there was some interaction between the two movements, Paulicianism and Bogomilism remained distinct. Bogomilism spread in the Byzantine world and also in western Europe where its adherents were called Cathars. The Bogomils came to enjoy a certain esteem among some Orthodox Byzantine Christians who believed that they were skilled in controlling demons, whom most Byzantines considered very powerful. Despite sometimes fierce persecution by the Orthodox Church and the Byzantine state, both Paulicians and Bogomils survived until the Ottoman Empire.

These translations include the principal sources for the history of the Paulicians and the Bogomils, many of which have not previously been available in English. These texts shed light on the cultural and religious history of the Byzantine word and also the origins of western Catharism.

Entry to page one of the collection of documents for browsing and reading. A full contents list below is provided so you can find the document you are searching for quickly. Please note the list of contents below only work if you have a Netscape 4.7 browser or above. The contents are reproduced within the document itself enter here.

CONTENTS:
The Byzantine Lands Map 1: EUROPE
The Byzantine Lands Map 2: THE ASIATIC LANDS
Gazeteer
Historical introduction: the origins of Christian dualism

 1. Paulician population transfers under Constantine V (741-75)
 2. The Empress Irene (780-802) and the Paulicians
 3. Alleged Paulicians in Constantinople in the early ninth century
 4. Theodore of Studium (d.826) opposes the death penalty for heresy
 5. St Macarius of Pelecete converts a Paulician in prison
 6. Renewed persecution of the Paulicians in Asia Minor and the martyrs of Amorium
 7. Peter of Sicily's History of the Paulicians (870)
 8. Peter the Higoumenos: an abridgment of Peter of Sicily
 9. The death of the Paulician leader Chrysocheir (c.878)
 10. Theophylact Lecapenus (933-56) writes to Tsar Peter of Bulgaria about Bogomils
 11. Abjuration formulae (tenth century) for Paulician converts to orthodoxy
 12. Theodore, metropolitan of Nicaea (956- ), writes about Paulicians in Euchaita
 13. St Paul of Latrus (d.955/6) converts Paulicians near Miletus
 14. John I Tzimisces (969-76) settles Paulicians at Philippopolis
 15. The discourse of the priest Cosmas against Bogomils (after 972)
 16. The Synodikon of Orthodoxy: clauses about Bogomils
 17. Paulicians in eleventh-century southern Italy
 18. St Lazarus the wonder-worker converts Paulicians near Ephesus (before 1054)
 19. Euthymius of the Periblepton condemns Bogomils (c.1045)
 20. The Paulicians of the Philippopolis ally with the Patzinaks (c.1050)
 21. A letter of the patriarch Cosmas (1075-81) against the Bogomils
 22. Alexius Comnenus (1081-1118) and the Paulicians
 23. Extracts from the Euthymius Zigabenus' Dogmatic Panoply against the Paulicians and the Messalians
 24. Anna Comnena's account of the trial of the Bogomil Basil (c.1098)
 25. Extracts from Euthymius Zigabenus' Dogmatic Panoply against the Bogomils
 26. Abjuration formula and form of reception into the Church for Bogomil converts
 27. A sermon against the Bogomils for the Sunday of All Saints (c.1107)
 28. The posthumous trial of Constantine Chrysomallus
 29. The Patriarch Michael II (1143-46) orders the burning of Bogomils
 30. Two Cappadocian bishops are condemned for Bogomilism (1143)
 31. The monk Niphon is condemned for Bogomilism (1144)
 32. The Patriarch Cosmas (1146-47) is deposed for favouring Bogomils
 33. St Hilarion of Moglena (1136-64) converts Bogomils in his diocese
 34. An anti-Bogomil work, possibly by Nicholas of Methone
 35. Popular beliefs about Bogomilism recounted by George Tornices (1154)
 36. Hugh Eteriano (a Pisan) writes a treatise against the Bogomils of Constantinople (c.1165-80)
 37. The mission of papa Nicetas of Constantinople to the West (c.1170)
 38. The Secret Book brought from Bulgaria (c.1190)
 39. Pope Innocent III and the Bogomils of Bosnia (1198-1203)
 40. The Fourth Crusade and the Paulicians of Philippopolis (1205)
 41. The Synodikon of Tsar Boril against the Bogomils (1211)
 42. Pope Honorius III and the Balkan pope of the heretics (1221-23)
 43. Pope Gregory IX (1227-41) urges the king of Hungary to crusade against the Bogomils
 44. The Patriarch Germanus II (1222-40) writes and preaches against Bogomils
 45. An Italian inquisitor's view of Bogomilism (c.1250)
 46. Evidence of Bogomilism in a liturgical commentary (date unknown)
 47. Pope John XXII alleges that Cathars are fleeing to Bosnia (1325)
 48. St Gregory Palamas (1296-1359) and the Bogomils
 49. St Theodosius of Trnovo (c.1350) legislates against Bogomils
 50. Symeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, preaches against the Bogomils (before 1429)

Appendix 1. The Ritual of Radoslav the Christian
Appendix 2. Armenian sources and the Paulicians
Glossary
Bibliography

For links to other sources visit the Manchester Medievalportal