Constantine of Kostenets | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Константин Костенечки |
| Born | c. 1380 likelyKostenets |
| Died | after 1431 |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Notable works | Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević |
Constantine of Kostenets (Bulgarian:Константин Костенечки,romanized: Konstantin Kostenechki;c. 1380 – after 1431),[1] also known asConstantine the Philosopher (Serbian:Константин Филозоф /Konstantin Filozof), was amedievalBulgarian scholar, writer and chronicler, who spent most of his life in theSerbian Despotate. He is best known for his biography ofSerbian despotStefan Lazarević, which George Ostrogorsky described as "the most important historical work of old Serbian literature",[2] and for writing the first Serbianphilological study,Skazanije o pismeneh (A History on the Letters). He followed the writing style of the Old Serbian "vita", first popularized in the Serbian scriptoria of the 12th century. When the Turks invaded Bulgaria, Serbia granted refuge to such men of letters as Kostonets,Grigorije Camblak, and Ioasaf ofVidin.
Constantine was born inBulgaria, probably inKostenets. In his youth, he attended school in the capitalVeliko Tarnovo, and was taught byAndronik, a pupil ofPatriarch Evtimiy of Bulgaria. He continued his studies onMount Athos and inConstantinople. TheOttoman conquest of Tarnovo in 1393 drove him away and he settled inStefan Lazarević'sSerbian Despotate, probably around 1402. He was warmly welcomed by the Despot, also a man of letters and a benefactor of education, and was given the position of educator at his palace inBelgrade. Constantine also frequented theManasija monastery, where he helped establish the Serbian "Resava School" of literature. His high education, life experience and traveling earned him the nickname of "Filozof" (Philosopher), after SaintCyril the Philosopher. On top of the travels in his youth, he traveled to theHoly Land and, judging by his description of three missions to the palaces of eastern rulers (Timur,Musa andMehmed I), he may also have participated.[3][4]
After the Despot's death in 1427, Constantine left Belgrade and entered into the service ofkesarUglješa Vlatković, in the area ofVranje, where he later died.[4]
Constantine's work had a tremendous impact on medieval Serbian literature and education. He introduced manyclassical Greek elements of literature and philosophy. His frequent citing of ancient philosophers and comparisons of the Despot in the Biography caused many to consider him a precursor to theRenaissance, which, due to the Ottoman conquest, never occurred in Serbian culture.[4]
After Despot Stefan died in 1427,Nikon I, Serbian Patriarch ordered Constantine to write the Despot's biography. That order was only fulfilled four years later, after Stefan himself allegedly appeared in Constantine's dream and restated Nikon's order. The biography is one of the most interesting in the old Serbian literature because it contains not only facts about the Despot's life, but also geographic information and thorough descriptions of numerous historical events. He was apparently inspired by theimperial chronicles ofByzantine historians. TheBiography of Despot Stefan Lazarević (Serbian:Житије деспота Стефана Лазаревића /Žitije despota Stefana Lazarevića) begins with a geographic description of Serbia's natural beauties, going on to describe its residents, praising their character but also mourning their forthcoming fall to the Turks. An exhaustive story of court events and the Despot's life follows, with numerous Biblical and classical references and numerous historical data which have proven invaluable to later historians. On several occasions, Constantine usedacrostics, with three masterpiece instances: in the introduction verses, in the titles of central chapters, and in the verses telling of his sorrow for the deceased Despot.[5][4][6][7]
Constantine of Kostenets,Pachomius the Serb,Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev, andGregory Tsamblak were able to continue their literary activities virtually unhampered by any linguistic barrier when moving from theBalkans toImperial Russia, no different than the role ofLatin literature in the Roman Catholic part of medieval Europe. Constantine spoke and wrote a language which could not be identified with either the Bulgarian or Serbian vernaculars. Therefore, it was only natural for medieval Serbian biographers to turn for models to the body of existingvitae written in eitherSlavonic-Serbian orChurch Slavonic language.
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