The Bulgarians and the Siege of Constantinople of 717 – 718 in a 13th Century Armenian Synaxarium

Authors:

Pages: 80-86
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/KZWQ1360

Abstract:

In 1910, in Fascicule 1 of Volume V of the Patrologia Orientalis, G. Bayan published an excerpt (the original text and a parallel French translation) from an Armenian synaxarium. The synaxarium, which, according to Bayan, is from the 13th century, includes an account of the siege of Constantinople (717 – 718 AD). It also mentions the Bulgarians as a key participant in the battles. The story in the Armenian synaxarium is based on ‘The Chronicle’ of Theophanes the Confessor (752 – 718 AD) and an anonymous 9th-century oration, interpolated in the earlier Byzantine hymn Akathist. The account does not offer any new information about Bulgarian participation in the siege, but it is still an interesting new source.

Keywords:

Patrologia Orientalis; Armenian synaxarium; Bulgarians; Siege of Constantinople 717 – 718 AD; ‘The Chronicle’ of Theophanes the Confessor; Byzantine hymn Akathist.

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