Legatum iuridicum Sancti Methodii et les Balkans

Abstract

Methodius’s translation of the John the Scholastic’s Synagogue of 50 titles, and the very archaic Slavonic compilation « Law for judging people », based upon the 17th chapter of the Byzantine Eclogue are representative of the legal interests of the Panonian archbishop. These two works illustrate the process of adoption of Byzantine civil and canon law by the Slavs in the third quarter the 9th century. Methodius’ translation is one of the most important Slavonic translations. It attests to the richness of the Slavonic literary language, and reveals the definite influence of the Moravian literary school in the reception of the Byzantine Law. The authorship of the « Law of judging people » may be inferred from the reference to the ecclesiastical supremacy of the author and to his great authority in legal matters. The article draws the attention to the passages on the right of asylum and to the use of Codex Theodosianus, XVI, 10, 23 as a very probable source for the first article of this work. These two legal sources attest to the importance of missionary activity among neophytes with clearness of meaning and abridged form of the content. They show the significance of law and legal culture in the early development of Slavonic literature in Great Moravia.