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Angeliki Delicari

Professor of Medieval History of Slavic Peoples
Department of History and Archeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

In 1018, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II Killer of Bulgarians, demolished the state of Samuel (976-1018) and annexed its territory to the Byzantine Empire, creating the theme Bulgaria with the capital Skopje. For the ecclesiastical cathedra of the theme it chose Ohrid, establishing at the same time the autocephalous Ohrid Archbishopric. This meant that this new ecclesiastical organism belonged directly to the Emperor, not to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and that it received an analogous status with that of the Cypriot Archbishopric. Its cathedral, meanwhile, means the city of Ohrid, and it’s identified with the ancient Byzantine Lychnidos, which was known Byzantine bishopric even before the 4th century.

In order to determine the borders and jurisdiction of the Ohrid Archbishopric, the emperor issued three sealed documents – Sigils, between 1019 and 1025. He chose these actions after the appropriate request of Jovan, the first Archbishop of Ohrid, who had Slavic origin. Unfortunately, even though the original of the Sigils of Basil II has not been preserved, their text is passed on inserted in the chrysobulls of Michael VIII (1272 or 1273).

In the Sigils of Basil II the episcopates which belonged to the Ohrid jurisdiction were described in detail. We are talking about the episcopates: Ohrid, Kostur, Glavenishka, Meglenska, Bitola (where we are happy to be today), Strumica, Morozvid, Velbuzd, Sredish, Nish, Branich, Belgrade, Srem, Skopje, Prizren, Lipjan, Servis, Vidin, Rash, Oriya, Chernis, Chimar; followed by the Drach, the episcopate Edirne; followed by an unreadable name of some episcopate, and finally the episcopates: Botro, Janica, Kozil, Petar, Rigon, Stagon and Veria.

In essence, the Byzantine Emperor attempted to include the church of the territories which he conquered, under a one church administration. Probably, these actions were due to purely political reasons, and he himself aimed at a structured, autocephalous (but limited in relation to the Patriarchate of Constantinople) church administration, to gradually succeed in the Byzantineization of the entire population of that area.

Of course, in this way, he assigned a great deed to the Ohrid Archbishop, bearing in mind that the area of his flock stretched north to the Danube, south to Thessaly, to the east to Rila and to the west to the Adriatic Sea (including territories of the former Bulgarian state, Serbia and Albania). Archbishop of Ohrid, although on the basis of the Sigils was set to practice the jurisdiction of such a broad area, having as a reason the great distance of many Bishops from his department, was very likely to refrain from choosing Hierarchs in the outermost regions, therefore he intervened only in the emergence of serious problems and advised the Hierarchs when there was a need.

Certainly, the Bishops far from Ohrid did not have the opportunity often and perhaps never to be present at the Synods of the Archbishopric and make joint decisions with the rest of her Hierarchs.

Throughout the centuries of its existence, the Archbishopric has often changed borders because it included the border regions of the Byzantine state, some of which ceased to be under Byzantine control at some point, and passed to the hands of foreign rulers. The regions of Illyria, whose ruler Rome, continually tried to win them and cut them off the Orthodox dogma, are also mentioned.

Therefore, at least in the first two centuries, the election of the Ohrid Archbishops was an important concern for the Byzantine emperors. Educated figures were elected, who enjoyed the full trust of the emperor and belonged to the tight circle of the Imperial Court. Of course, after the thirteenth century, this ceases to be a valid rule, precisely because of the Latin conquest of Constantinople, due to the temporary increase of the influence of the state of Epirus, but also because of the conquest of territories of the Archbishopric of foreigners (Bulgarian and Serbian rulers).

The Patriarchate of Constantinople, meanwhile, considered it necessary to have control over the election of the Prefects of Ohrid. In addition to their activity as church men, the Ohrid Archbishops particularly distinguished themselves in their written work and on the protection of the rights of Orthodoxy. The heir of Jovan, the first Archbishop of Ohrid, Leo (circa 1037 - †1055/1056) actively participated in the dispute between Constantinople and Rome regarding the conflict of unleavened bread.

Theophylact of Ohrid (circa 1089 or 1092 - † 1126), one of the most important and most fruitful writers there, among many works, wrote the extensive Life of St. Clement, which in my opinion, is the most important text concerning the mission of Cyril and Methodius in Great Moravia and receiving her heritage in the Ohrid area, as well as the Martyrdom of the victims in Tiberiopol (Strumica).

During the bishopric of Jovan Komin (during the years 1140 – 1164), who was a descendant of the famous Byzantine emperor family, the Archbishopric was identified with the old Archbishopric of the Justiniana Prima. Although the connection is wrong, the importance and glory of the Archbishopric increased. Through the very important work and the correspondence of one of the most prominent Archbishops of Ohrid and a prominent canonologist of the epoch, Dimitrios Homatian (circa 1216 – circa 1236), not only the church but also the social history of the Archbishopric can be followed.

His relations with the prominent figures of the epoch and with foreign rulers such as Theodore Duka, the ruler of the state of Epirus, Stefan Nemanjić, Stefan Radoslav and others, show the respect that they cherished to the person of the Archbishop, but also the fear of some of the international influence of the Archbishopric.

In the temple of the Mother of God Peribleptos (1294/1295) in Ohrid, one can admire the performance of the Archbishop of Ohrid Constantine Kavasila with St. Clement. Constantine Cavasila was one of the prominent figures who for a few years acted in the church surroundings of Ohrid, first as Bishop of Greven, then Bishop of Tiberiopolis (Strumica), followed by Metropolitan of Durres, and finally as Archbishop of Ohrid.

Twice he stood on the archbishopric throne in Ohrid, the first time during the reign of Theodore II Laskaris (1254-1258), and the second time during the reign of Michael VIII Paleologus (1259-1282), and as can be seen, he was canonized for a saint shortly after his death.

The construction of the ammunition in the temple "St. Sophia" in Ohrid is associated with the Archbishop Gregory I (probably from the beginning of 1312, until the end of 1314 / early 1315, or according to others, 1332). There, in the columns there are four monographs in circles, two in which Γριγόριος or Γριγόριως is read, and in the other two Archbishop of the Bulgarians.

In the period of the Serbian conquest of Ohrid, the relations of the Archbishopric with the Serbian ruler Stefan Dushan seem to have been harmonious. Archbishop Nikolai (1334 – 1365), started a new period of cooperation and trust with the Serbs. In the cathedral image (chronologically determined between 1347 – 1350), in the chapel of St. John the Forerunner in the church "St. Sophia" in Ohrid, Archbishop Nikolai appears as a prayer mediator before St. John the Forerunner, representing him John Oliver (the ruler of Ohrid), and members of his family (his wife Anna-Maria and his sons Damjan and probably Krajko).

It can be seen that Nikolai\'s founding activity has been extended by his successor, Gregory II (1364/1365 – 1378), as evidenced by the two inscriptions in which his name appears. The first one is located above the gate in the chapel, on the northern wing of the church "The Mother of God Peribleptos", which is dedicated to Saint Gregory the Theologian and chronologically determined in 1364/1365.

There, Gregory is mentioned as Archbishop of the Justiniana Prima. Also, in the old church of St. Clement, in the settlement of Bolnicka, in the founder\'s inscription (1378), located above the southern gate, we read that its temple was built and painted during the bishopric of the Most Holy Archbishop of the Justiniana Prima and of all Bulgaria Gregory, when the governor of the city was Andrei Gropa.

It could be talked for hours of activity of the Ohrid Archbishops over the centuries, the international influence of the Archbishopric, the titles of the Archbishops, who depicted their jurisdiction, real or fictitious. The goal of the Archbishops was to promote Ohrid in the wider space of the Balkans and to invoke the memory of the glorious past of his church surroundings.

In a pastoral epistle of the Archbishop Zosim of Ohrid, on June 11, 1708, in connection with the gift of the Grand Prix of Ungrowlah George Kastriot, one broad title is used: Zosim, with the grace of God, Archbishop of the Justiniana Prima, Ohrid and all Bulgaria, Dacia and the Mediterranean, to Ripensia, Prevala, Dardania, Upper Misia and the other (areas) Patriarch.

The references to these dioceses refer to Novella 11 (535), by Justinian I, with which this Byzantine emperor founded the Archbishopric of the Justiniana Prima. There are described all these areas of the title of Zosim, as dioceses, belonging to the Justiniana Prima.

Particular mention should be made of the most characteristic saints of the Ohrid Archbishopric, Saint Clement and the venerable Naum, the disciples of the saints Cyril and Methodius. Their dispatch in Ohrid by Bulgarian ruler Boris I marks the beginning of the second phase – if I am allowed this timely delineation – to the church work of the Cyril and Methodius Mission between the Slavs.

What St. Clement and venerable Naum attempted to do in this area is: to save it essentially, to preserve and re-illuminate the Slavic culture that was created in Great Moravia. Saint Clement was ordained to Bishop of Velichka (now Veles), in 893 or 894, after the request to the Constantinople Patriarchate by the Bulgarian king Simeon (893-927). The first known mention of Clement as Bishop of Velichka dates back to the Assemanianus Code (mid-XI century).

There it is indicated that on July 27, the day of the memory of the holy Panteleimon is also day of the memory of the holy Clement of Velichka (Климента Епископа Величъскаго). Although he never received the title Archbishop of Ohrid for a simple reason, because in his epoch the Archbishopric did not exist and did not receive the title of the Byzantine Episcopy Lychnidos, still, the area of his jurisdiction was widespread, and the most important city in the epicopy was Ohrid.

Regarding St. Clement, the retrospective use of the title Archbishop of Ohrid is associated with his priestly, pastoral, foster and writer work in the Ohrid region. How much the memory of St. Clement as the first pastor of the Archbishopric was preserved in the hearts of his flock, so did in the later Ohrid Archbishops. It was an honor and a blessing for the Archbishops to include that saint in their predecessors, to paint him in the frescoes of their churches, to ask him for help and enlightenment to continue their work there.

With the conquest of the Balkans from the Ottomans and the temporary abolition of the churches of Bulgaria and Serbia, the role of the Archbishopric of Ohrid seems to have been upgraded, since it is likely that it has overtaken the jurisdiction over the territories that it had lost in the past.

In any case, the fact remains that the Ohrid Archbishopric has survived since 1018, to this day, in an area in which the development of events over time has not always been benevolent toward it. However, it should be accepted that neither the Bulgarian nor the Serbian, finally nor the Ottoman authorities failed to substantially change the character, the activity, and, most importantly, its identity.

Hellens, Slavs and other nationalities, harmoniously coexisted in the area of the Archbishopric, through the centuries. With all our hearts we wish longevity and, with God’s blessing, the vision of its founder to act as a unifying factor for all the peoples who found themselves under her spiritual cover and to always illuminate the path of love and cooperation.

translation: M. N.