Ancient Peoples and Places, vol. 84

 

 

The Bulgarians. From pagan times to the Ottoman conquest

 

David Marshall Lang

 

Thames and Hudson

London 1976

Scans in .pdf format (42 Mb)

The Madara Horseman

 

Contents The plates. Notes on the plates List of figures

 

    Foreword - Chronological table

 

1. The environment: Land and people

    The Danube - The Balkan range - The plains - The southern mountains - The Black Sea coast region - Trade routes - Climate - Flora and fauna - National characteristics

2. Bulgarian origins: Early settlers and invaders

    The Thracians - The Greeks - The Romans - The Goths - Early Christianity - The Huns - The Slavs - The Vlachs - The Seven- tribes - The Bulgars - The Bulgar army - Old Great Bulgaria - The Armenians - The Cumans or Polovtsians - The Pechenegs

 

3. From khanate to imperium: the First Bulgarian empire

    The coming of Asparukh - Khan Tervel and Justinian II - The Treaty with Byzantium - An age of anarchy - Telerig the double-crosser - Khan Kardam and Empress Irene - Krum the conqueror - Omurtag the builder - Early Christianity: Knyaz Boris-Michael - Symeon the strong - Decline under tsar Peter - The Russians in Bulgaria - Tsar Samuel and the twilight of empire

4. The rise and fall of the Second Bulgarian empire

    Under Byzantine rule - Delyan’s rebellion - Disorders in the Balkans - Arrival of the Crusaders - Bulgaria regains independence - Tsar Kaloyan the brave - Boril the inept - Achievements of tsar Ivan Assen II - Finance and trade - Decline of the central power - King Ivailo the swineherd - The rise of Serbia - George Terter and his successors - The Shishman dynasty - Ivan Alexander, patron of the arts - Decline and decay - The end of the Bulgarian empire

 

5. Social protest: The Bogomil heresy

    Origins of Bogomilism - Bogomil view of the universe - Bogomil doctrine and morality - Rationalist elements - Social organization and political action - The spread of Bogomilism abroad

6. Literature and learning

    Missions of Cyril and Methodius - Literary heritage of Cyril and Methodius - Literary work of St Clement of Ohrida - The golden age of Bulgarian literature - Some famous manuscripts - Apocryphal a and wisdom literature - History and science - The silver age of Bulgarian literature - Euthymius and Hesychast movement - Disciples of Patriarch Euthymius

7. Architecture and the arts

    Architecture of the Pliska-Madara period - Shumen - The Madara horseman - Metalwork and ceramics - Early Christian architecture - Later church architecture - Secular architecture - Wood-carving - Fresco painting - Icon painting - Manuscript illumination - Music

 

Bibliography - Index

 

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