Methodius

Methodius (c. 815–885) was a Byzantine Greek monk and missionary, and the brother of Cyril (Constantine). Along with Cyril, he played a pivotal role in the Christianization of the Slavic peoples during the 9th century. The brothers developed a Slavic liturgy and created the Glagolitic alphabet, the earliest known Slavic script, which enabled the translation of the Bible and other religious texts into Old Church Slavonic.

In 863, at the invitation of Rastislav of Great Moravia, Methodius and Cyril traveled to Moravia to evangelize and organize a Slavic church independent of Latin authority. They established a Slavonic liturgy, trained clergy in the Slavonic language, and produced numerous translations of liturgical books. The work fostered literacy and Christian culture across the Slavic lands, though it faced opposition from some Latin clerics aligned with Frankish political interests.

The papacy at times supported the use of Slavonic liturgy, and Cyril died in Rome in 869 while returning from a mission. Methodius continued the work and was eventually recognized as archbishop for the Slavic peoples in Moravia and parts of Pannonia. The mission’s conflicts reflected broader tensions between Latin and Slavic rites that continued for decades.

Methodius is venerated as a saint in both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. His legacy, together with Cyril’s, is foundational in the development of Slavic ecclesiastical culture and literacy, and he is remembered as a founder of Slavic Christian tradition.