A New Conception About the Ethnic Origin of St Constantine and St Methodius

Usually, the origin of the saint brothers Constantine-Cyril and Methodi us is derived from the Greek or/and Slavic population of the town of Thessaloniki, the Byzantine empire. This report goes further, substantiating the hypothesis that their father, Leon was a son of Constantine Voilas, patrician under Empress Irina (797 – 802), who presumably was relieved of its rank and property during the failed coup in July, 803, against Nicephorus I (802 – 811). Based on solid data, the majority of researchers regard the patrician as a Hellenized descendant of Proto-Bulgarians, who, together with many Bulgarian Slavs, in 688/9 was transferred by Justinian II from Bulgaria into the Byzantine province of Bithynia — the so-called Moesia in Asia Minor at the Marmara Sea shore. The famous saint Joannikius the Great (754 – 846) from the Vithynian Olympus Mountain was also from the same family, whose surname, Voilas (Βοϊλάδων, Boiladi), represents a high ranking Proto-Bulgarian title. The hypothesis is also in line with the opinion that, similar to the holy brothers, their closest disciples Clement, Naum, and others were born among the same Hellenized Bulgarians from Moesia in Asia Minor and, apparently, were monks in the monasteries of the local Olympus Mountain.