| The Classics in Bulgaria: General State | ||||
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Although much of the territory of today’s
Bulgaria was settled as far back as prehistoric times, it was not until the end
of the 7th century BC that cities in the generally understood sense
began to be founded, first as Greek colonies along the Northwestern Black Sea
Coast, and over the following centuries as communities that sprang up and
prospered not just during Greco-Roman antiquity, but as well - throughout the
Byzantine, Medieval , Ottoman, and succeeding epochs - to our own day. The names
have changed: Apollonia has become Sozopol, Mesa(e)mbria Nesebur, Odes(s)o(u)s
Varna, An(c)hialos Pomorie, Durostorum Silistra, Sexa(gi)nta - Prista Ruse,
Philippopolis Plovdiv, Serdic(k)a Sofia, Beroe - Augusta Traiana Stara Zagora,
Pautalia Kyustendil, Scaptopara Blagoevgrad, Bononia Vidin, Nicopolis ad Istrum
Nikjup, Dionysopolis Balchik, Marcianopolis Devnya, Montana Mihailovgrad, Castra-
Martis Kula, Melta Lovech, Abritus Razgrad, Bizone Kavarna, Hadrianopolis Edirne,
Aristaeum Emona, Naulochus-Templum Iovis Ubzor, and Tirizis Kaliakra. Other
sites have kept their ancient names, e.g., Rat(s)iaria, Almus, Novae,
Duscoduratera, Burdapa, Kabile, Arzus, Deultum, Nicopolis ad Nestum, Germania,
Pizus, Vicus Trullensium, Aquae Calidae, Transmarisca, Balanstra, Mansio Melda,
Storgosia, Samus, Erite, and Iatrus. Still other areas where important
discoveries have been made use their modern names: Hissar, Pliska, Preslav,
Madara, Burgas, Sliven, Rila Turgovishche, Popina, Nova Cherna, Perushtitsa,
Shipka, Shumen, Branichevo, Svishtov, Kolarovgrad, Panagyurishche, Krun,
Sandanski, Haskovo, Veliko Turnovo, Kazanluk, Bachkovo, Sadovets, and Hotnitsa.
River names have likewise changed, the Danuvius-Ister becoming the Danube, the
O(e)scus the Iskur, the Urus the Vit, the Hebros the Maritsa, the Asamus the
Osum, the Strymon the Struma, the Harpessos the Arda, the Tonzos the Tundia, the
Panysos the Kanuchiya, and the Mestos the Mesta. Today’s population is called
Bulgarians replacing the ancestral Thracian tribal names like the Triballi, the
Getai, the Krobuzi, the Skordisci, the Serdi, the Maidi, the Odrysai, the Thyni,
the Asti, the Bessi, and the Dentheletai. The Haimos, the great mountain range
crossing the middle of the country, is now called the Stara Planina, while
smaller mountain ranges, like the Rhodopes, Rila, Pirin, Sredna Gora, Sakar and
Strandzha, retain their earlier designations.. With so long a history and with so many tribes, rulers and cultures traversing this modestly-sized country, there is little wonder that today still Bulgaria (in antiquity comprising the Roman provinces of Thrace and Lower Moesia) remains a very fertile region for scholarly research, particularly concerning the Thracians, Greeks and Romans. As one would expect, a large cadre of scholars from several countries during the past century has produced a massive amount of data about the various facets of Bulgarian life over hundreds of years. The Bulgarians themselves obviously have led the way, even during two wars and their difficult aftermaths, and amidst changing political systems. In the ranks of leading Classicists on the international scene Bulgaria has been represented with such talented and prolific scholars as Vladimir Georgiev, Alexander Fol, Ivan Venedikov, Veselin Beshevliev, Mariya Chichikova, Bogdan Bogdanov, Zlatozara Gocheva, Velizar Velkov, Jordanka Yurukova, Hristo Danov, Margarita Svetoslavova Tacheva-Hitova, Iskra Gencheva, Anna Balkanska, Anna Nikolova, Dimitur Petrov Popov, Bogdan Sultov, Teofil Ivanov, Aleksander Nichev, Dimitur Boyadzhiev, Radi Radev, Ivan Marazov, Georgi Batakliev, Magdalina Stancheva, Gavril Katsarov, Mihail Lazarov, Hristo Preshlenov, Lyudmil Vagalinski, Ivan Duridanov , Tsvetana Dremsizova-Nelchinova, Henrieta Todorova and Goranka Toncheva. Hundreds of Bulgarian professionals, in every domain of ancient studies, have continued with their researches and published the fruits of their investigations in a great variety of journals and serials, editions, and monographs. As in other lands the overall supervision of Ancient Studies in Bulgaria is exercised by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, whose central headquarters are located at 1040 Sofia, 15 Noemvri St. 1, e-mail: http://www.bas.bg . The Academy comprises numerous institutes, of which, under the general category of Humanities, two are particularly important for Classical scholarship, these being the Institute of Archaeology and National Museum (1000 Sofia, Saborna 2), and the virtually unique Institute of Thracology/Thracian Studies (1000 Sofia, Moskovska 13). To a considerably lesser extent research relating to the ancient world is conducted in the Institute for Literature, the Institute of History, the Institute of Balkan Studies, the Institute of Art Studies, the Institute of Legal Studies, the Center for Architectural Studies, and the Institute of Philosophical Studies. Within the Institute of Archaeology and the National Museum, there exist six departments of which three have special interest for scholars of Greece and Rome. The Department of Thracian Archaeology is concerned with the origin of the Thracians and their cultural development and ethnic characteristics as far back as the Bronze and Iron Ages, and during the 3rd-1st millennia BC. The Department of Classical Archaeology assigns its research priorities to material culture and arts in Bulgarian lands during the time traditionally designated as the Classical period, with substantial emphasis on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast from the 6th century BC to the 6th century AD, as well as to the 1st –3rd centuries AD in the Roman provinces of Moesia Inferior and Thrace. The Department of Numismatics and Epigraphy by definition deals with inscriptions (in the Greek, Roman and Cyrillic alphabets) and minting and coin circulation between the 4th century BC and the 7th century AD. The Institute of Thracology, in a cooperative effort, since1988, with scholars from 15 other nations, studies the Thracians as a Palaeo-Balkan ethnic community, localized in Southeastern Europe, the Aegaean Islands and Western Asia Minor, and its contacts with Europe and Asia that resulted in the transmission of common features in the cultural heritage of Bulgaria and other Eastern Balkan countries. Although several new institutions of higher education have sprung up in recent years which offer programs in the Ancient Greek and Roman Classics, the long-existing universities are still at the helm in preserving the Classics. Of these the flagship is the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, located at 1504 Sofia, Bul. Tsar Osvoboditel 15. Within the Faculty of Classical and Hungarian Philologies there exists the Department of Classical Philology with a professional staff of 17 scholars offering courses in the Historical Grammar of Latin, Latin Literature and Roman Civilization, Ancient Greek Literature and Civilization, Latin Syntax, Latin Morphology, Legal/Juridical Latin, Ancient Greek Syntax, and Ancient Greek Morphology. Within the Faculty of History the Department of Archaeology has a staff of four scholars, and the Department of Ancient History employs twelve teachers. The Faculty of Philosophy has a Department for the History of Philosophy with four members and additional staff teaching the History of Culture, while the Faculty of Theology offers courses in Old Testament Studies and Church History. Within the Faculty of Law, the Department for the History and Theory of the State and Law deals with topics in Ancient Law, especially Roman law. The University likewise supports a Center for Ancient Languages and Civilizations. At the Paisij Hilendarski University in Plovdiv (the ancient Philippopolis), located at 4000 Plovdiv, Tsar Asen Str. 24, within the Philological Faculty, there is a Department for the History of Literature and Comparative Literature that includes courses or sections of courses dealing with ancient literature. Other long- established Bulgarian universities likewise cover the history, culture and literature of the ancient world. These universities are the Prof. Asen Zlatarov University in Burgas (address: 8010 Burgas, Prof. Yakimov St. 1) within its Faculty of Humanities; the SS Cyril and Methodius University in Veliko Turnovo (5000 Veliko Turnovo, T. Tarnovski St. 2); the St. Bishop Konstantin Preslavski University in Shumen (9712 Shumen, Universitetska St. 115); The Neofit Rilski Southwestern University (2700 Blagoevgrad, Ivan Mihailov St. 68), within its Faculties of Law and History, Arts, Philology and Philosophy; the Angel Kanchev University of Ruse (7017 Ruse, Studentska St. 8); the Thracian University in Stara Zagora; and, in Sofia also, the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy. The recently established Varna Free University (9007 Varna, Chaika Resort), in its Department of Foreign Language Teaching, offers programs in Latin and Ancient Greek, and, among its Humanities and Arts Specializations, provides training in the theory and practice of Marine Archaeology in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, dealing with artifacts dating back to Antiquity and the Middle Ages. But emerging today as a major component in the array of institutions comprising higher education in Bulgaria and as a major new center for Classical Studies is the New Bulgarian University. In May of 1990 there was founded the Society for the New Bulgarian University whose principal purpose was "to create a non-governmental academic institution , an alternative to the state university". Elected as the Chair of the Society was Prof. Bogan Bogdanov, a distinguished Classicist at the St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia State University. Sixteen months later this University was chartered to work for modernization of higher education in Bulgaria as well as to maintain its long-standing traditions. Among the leaders of the initiative, together with Prof. Bogdanov, was Prof. Alexander Fol, arguably Bulgaria’s best known Classical scholar. With these two gentlemen in the forefront, departments and programs were established conferring four types of degrees (Expert’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctor’s), a wide range of basic education courses was implemented, and interdisciplinary programs, distance learning, and continuing education formats were put in place. For the faculty many already well-known professors from existing institutions were granted positions on a part-time basis, established retired scholars were asked to join the ranks, and young emerging professionals were taken on as well. This new institution, headquartered at 21 Montevideo Street, 1635 Sofia, has proved to be very successful, not the least for Classical Studies. Today it houses Departments of Archaeology, History of Culture, Mediterranean and Eastern Research, Law, Theatre, Philosophy, and a Foreign Language Institute. Among the academic programs are those in History, History of Culture and Arts Theory, Theatre, Ancient History and Culture, Archaeology, the History and Culture of the Classical Ancient East, the History and Culture of Ancient Europe, Linguistics, the History of Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, and Civilizations and Power in Antiquity. The concept has proved to be a boon, providing many additional opportunities beyond the traditional campuses and programs for people wishing to immerse themselves in the study of the ancient world. At about the same time that the process was being put into motion to establish the New Bulgarian University, a similar project was being instituted by a team of Bulgarian and American educators, government officials, Mr. George Soros, the founder of the Open Society Institute, officials from the University of Maine, and the city of Blagoevgrad, to establish the American University in Bulgaria. Resulting from these efforts the new institution was opened at the end of September in 1991. Among the Classics courses that have appeared in its curriculum are: An Introduction to Archaeology; The Pre-history of Southeast Europe - Iron-Age, Thracian, Scythian, Illyrian; the Classical Archaeology of Southeast Europe; Comparative Mythology; Thracian Art; Greek and Latin Elements in English; Ancient Greece; Ancient Rome; Beginning and Intermediate Courses in Latin; and Ancient Philosophy. Today the University, with an international faculty and student body, is making a solid contribution and providing a worthy option among the opportunities for higher education in Bulgaria. In addition to the institutions already named, other campuses are available to give students grounding in Classical Studies. Secondary schools like the Neofit Rilski Gymnasium in Sofia and the Konstantin Kiril the Philosopher National Gymnasium for Ancient Languages and Cultures, also in Sofia, provide highly respected basic courses. Finally, numerous seminaries and advanced pedagogical institutes offer training in the languages and literatures of antiquity.
© 2003 Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. |
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