Sofia (Serdica)(Sredets) history part 2 300-1382AD

Part 2 of 3 311AD Serdica (Sofia's Roman name) was first ever Roman city legalizing Christianity, by Emperor Glaerius at site of now Sofia church.

This predated the 313, the next huge boost for Christianity, the edict of Milan, by 2 years where Constantine legalized all other religions, other than the Roman religion, which included Christianity. Emperor Constantine often lived in Serdica in his palace, calling it his Rome, and almost made the city the capital of Eastern Roman Empire instead of Byzantium (Istanbul).

City played a major role in that religious transition. Constantine again led The Nicean Council, that established Christian Doctrine and beginnings of Roman Catholic Church in 325AD. Constantine was first Emperor to convert to Christianity which he did on his deathbed in 337. In 345 AD the council of Serdica was held at church (where St. Sofia church is) making Christianity the official religion of city. Which led to 380, Christianity being adopted as the official religion of the entire Roman Empire which changed everything forever.🙏

During this time the schism between West and East Empire, the city was apart of the Eastern sphere of influence, Byzantine Empire. The Huns from central Asia (who would merge with people to the North and eventually create Hungary) sacked city in 447AD. Then the Orthogothic Kingdom took over region (who sacked Rome itself and dissolved Western Empire) but the Byzantine Emperor Justinan's forces retook and rebuilt city in 500s, during his recapturing of losses of Roman territory briefly. 🗡️

By 500-600s, (like all of Balkans, Eastern, and Central Europe) many migrating Slav tribes who I think originated in Ukraine Poland border area (from my research) reached this area Sofia too. And mingled with the remnants of all those peoples from Thracian, Roman, and other times. The Byzantine power were tangled in war with Persia and couldn’t govern Serdica well allowing these new influencers to come in. And then come the mighty Bulgars.

The Bulgar people are a central Asian steppe people, the Ancient Chinese records describe them, and their geographic origin is mysterious. But it is thought to be somewhere Northeast of the Black Sea passed caucuses or even more east in Uzbek area. The different nomadic horse warrior peoples changed world history. Bulgars to Huns to Mongols to the Avars; very are fascinating and mysterious. The Bulgars were one of them. They kept conquering and pushing West looking for a homeland. Another steppe people who caused all kinds of havoc in the Balkans from the Caucasus, the Avars, conquered the Bulgars briefly in 600s during their western campaign. But in 635 they revolted and the first Bulgar state was established, not here though, it was North in now north Bulgaria, parts of Romania, maybe part of Moldova, southern Ukraine area too. The Bulgars did co-exist and mingle with the Slavs and others contributing to the Bulgarian DNA today. 🗡️🇧🇬👍🐴

Byzantines we're still around though and went on campaign to again, regain territory and fought the Bulgars but lost. But from 600-800s there was a lot of fighting between the two powers. City and most of modern Bulgaria technically was Byzantine. In 809, the first Bulgarian king of modern state defeated the Byzantines once and for all and took over a good portion of the Balkans including the city and borders of modern Bulgaria for the first time. He actually had the Byzantine Emperor killed somehow (maybe it battle, I couldn’t find story?) and lined his skull with silver and made it into a drinking cup. Brutal. City was renamed Sredets. 💀🍵🏆

REST OF STORY IN COMMENTS!

[Rayza]

CONTINUE FROM DESCRIPTION The Bulgarian Empire at the time was one of the most powerful in Europe in 800-1000s stretching from Mediterranean to Danube to Black Sea to Agean Sea. In 971 city was first made capital. During this time is also when conflict began arising between the Vatican and Constantinople over the types of Christianity they liked. And many in area who were still pagan began converting, most being more aligned with Eastern thought over pope. In 827 Greeks St. Cyril and Methodius invented Cyrillic writing with a language in Greece called Old-Bulgarian and completely translated the Bible, which Bulgarians are proud of to this day. The saints were missionaries, converting many slavs, and made it up to Czech Moravia area. But when the locals up there sided with Roman Catholicism they and their followers headed back south, many settling in Bulgaria. This was the starts of the still practiced Bulgarian Orthodox Church. 📿🙏


Byzantines were always pestering though and in 1018 they retook the city and Bulgaria until 1185. During this time is when the great Schism occurred in 1054 between 2 church leaders, one from east, one from west. That got so heated on how to worship some Jesus that the East totally broke away forever, creating the Eastern (Greek and others) Orthodox Church which has noticeable differences from Roman Catholicism. With its head in Constantinople. 🤔


The Catholic crusades were happening in the south at this time both in the holy land and all through Byzantium. Turkic (more steppe warriors) tribes were invading all over region(Turkic is not Turkish, they are a collection of many tribes and people from all over Central Asia) and by 1185 Bulgarians again were independent from struggling Byzantine Empire. Mongol Invasions and Crusades were happening all around them too affecting geopolitics around here (including a Roman Catholic sack of Constantinople in 1200s which Byzantines retook shortly after). Bulgaria though 1300s lost most of its territory of Serbian state and became a small feudal entity. 🗡️