History of Medieval Sofia IV - XIV Century

"History of medieval Sofia IV - XIV century" is a monograph dedicated to the eleventh-century-long existence of one of the most remarkable Balkan cities during the middle ages - The present day capital of Bulgaria - Sofia. It was situated along the Via Diagonalis through the Peninsula and was mentioned in the Annals from this age under the names Serdica, Sredets, Triaditza. Early Byzantine Serdica was a "Marvellous Metropolis" - the main city in the Province of Midland Dacia.

A city favoured by Emperor Constantine The Great, in which he constructed a magnificent architectural ensemble.The council of Serdica of 43 was the signature event through which Serdica left its mark on the history of the Early Christian Church. Up until the end of the VI century, Serdica was a major Byzantine city and an important episcopal centre. During the VII and VIII century, the city existed in the setting of Ubiquitous Slavic Colonisation of the entire Balkan Peninsula.

In 809, the distinguished Khan Krum incorporated Serdica into the Bulgarian Khanate and the city continued its existence as the Bulgarian city of Sredets for two centuries. The end of the X century saw the inclusion in the Orthodox calendar of the most holy image of a Bulgarian saint - St. john of Rila. The "Heavenly patron saint of the Bulgarian people", who has been directly associated with Sredets and the Sredets region ever since the middle ages. Throughout the XI - XII century, despite being one of the most important strategic fortresses in the western parts of the Byzantine empire. Serdica preserved its Bulgarian ethic image. One of the greatest Bulgarian rulers - Tsar Ivan I Asen, restored Serdica - Sredets to the Bulgarian empire in 1195, in which it was a major centre up until Bulgaria's conquest by the Ottoman Turks.

Introduction
Serdica during the IV - VII century

• The city during the reign of the late Roman emperors Diocletian (284 - 305) and Constantine the Great (306 - 337)
• Emperor Julian the Apostate and Serdica
• Goths and Huns as part of the history of the city
• Serdica during the Slavic raids of the VI - VII century
• Notes on Chapter One

Sredets in the history of early medieval Bulgaria (809 - 1018)

• Bulgarian Khan Krum (796 - 814) incorporates Serdica into the lands of Bulgaria
• The city during the events in Bulgarian history before 971
• Serdica during the reign of the Copetopuli and in Samuel's Bulgaria
• Notes to Chapter Two

Serdica (Triaditza - Sredets) within the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire (1018 - 1195)

• Serdica and the Boyana Fortress during the uprising of Peter Delyan
• The Pechenegs and Sredets Region
• Serdica - Triaditza in times of uprising
• The first Crusaders and the Serdicians
• The role of Serdica - Triaditza and the Byzantine-Hungarian and Byzantine-Serbian relations during the XII^th century
• German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and Serdica
• Serdica through the eyes of one Byzantine rhetorician from the 70s of the XII^th century
• Notes on Chapter Three

Sredets - Sofia in the history of the Second Bulgarian Empire XIII - XIV century

• The city in the realm of the first tsars of the Asen dynasty
• Tsar Ivan II Asen and Sredets
• Sebastokrator Kaloyan and Sebastokrator Dessislava and their Boyana Church
• Sredets during the first half of the XIV^th century
• Sofia's capture by the Ottoman Turks (1385)
• Notes on Chapter Four

Demographic and ethnic changes in Serdica - Sredets - Sofia and its region during the IV - XIV century

• Demographic and ethnic changes in Serdica and its region during the IV - VII century
• The population of Serdica during the I - III century
• Changes in the population's composition during the IV - V century
• Ethnic and social changes during the VI - VII century
• Ethnic composition in Serdica (Sredets - Triaditza - Sofia) during the IX - XIV century
• Slavicisation and Bulgarisation of the city - 809 - 1018
• Ethnic changes during the Byzantine rule
• Bulgarian Sredets
• Note on Chapter Five

Serdica - Sredets - Sofia - a religious and spiritual centre during the IV - XIV century
Serdica - an important religious and spiritual centre between the IV^th and the beginning of the XI^th century

• The religious governance of Serdica until the Council of Serdica of 343
• Dogmatic teaching during the IV^th century and the Council of Serdica of 343
• Christianisation of Serdica's population during the IV - VI^th century and the Serdician Christian diocese
• Sedician episcopal see and metropolitan diocese - VIII - XI century

Serdica (Triaditza - Sredets - Sofia) - an important and spiritual centre from the XI^th to the end of the XIV^th century

• The Sedician episcopal see between the XI^th and the end of the XII^th century
• Saint John of Rila - "the Beacon of Sredets"
• Heretic teachings in the city and their representatives. Conflicts within the Serdician (Triaditian) episcopal see
• The Serdician episcopal see (metropolitan diocese) between the end of the XII^th and the end of the XIV^th century
• Notes on Chapter Six

Sofia's names throughout the centuries

• Notes on Chapter Sofia's names throughout the centuries

References

• Sources
• Historiography

List of abbreviations