Култ римског папе Силвестера Првог у српским земљама од 1166. до 1459. године

Abstract

U radu se posvećuje pažnja istraživanju kulta rimskog pape Svetog Silvestera Prvog (314-335) u srpskim zemljama od vremena vladavine Stefana Nemanje (1166-1196) do pada Despotovine 1459. godine u hagiografskim i ikonografskim izvorima. Analizom je utvrđeno da su ime ovog svetitelja kao i podaci vezani za njegov život i kult prisutni u mesecoslovima, prolozima i u drugim književno-bogoslužbenim sastavima tokom ovog perioda. U radu su likovne predstave svetog Silvestera Rimskog u srpskom monumentalnom živopisu obrađene i klasifikovane prema ikonografskim tipovima, a istaknuti su i portreti koji u izvesnim detaljima odstupaju od uobičajenih predstava ovog svetitelja. U radu su razmotreni i tekstovi na svicima koje sveti Silvester Rimski drži u rukama.

The following paper investigates the cult of Saint Sylvester the First, the pope of Rome (314-335) in medieval Serbia (1168-1459) on the basis of hagiographical and iconographical sources. Saint Sylvester, bishop of Rome (314-335) was born at Rome of Christian parents. When he was an adult, he fulfilled the Lord's command to love one's neighbor and often received strangers and travelers, serving them in his own home. After the death of Bishop Melchiades, Saint Sylvester was chosen Bishop of Rome. He was a contemporary of emperor Constantine the Great. During the reign of the emperor Constantine the Great the period of persecution had ended for the Church, and the Jews arranged a public debate to determine which faith was true. The holy Empress Helen, the mother of the emperor Constantine was present. Saint Sylvester defended Christianity and spoke for Christians, and the Jews had a large number of learned rabbis led by Zambres, a sorcerer. Quoting the sacred books of the Old Testament, Saint Sylvester convincingly demonstrated that all the prophets foretold the birth of Jesus Christ from the all-pure Virgin, His voluntary suffering and death, and His glorious Resurrection. The saint was the Victor in the debate. Then Zambres killed the bull with his sorcery. The saint obstructed the evil and resurrected the bull by calling the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Zambres and the other Jews came to believe in Jesus Christ and they asked to be baptized.Saint Sylvester was the Roman Bishop for more than 20 years. He died peacefully in old age in the year 335. This paper reveals that the name of Saint Sylvester the First of Rome is regularly present in different Serbian medieval hagiographical records: in preserved menaia for January, in prologues and other writings - sometimes with the toponymical attribute "of Rome," sometimes with the title "pope" and toponymical attribute "of Rome" and sometimes only with the epithet "saint" and name "Sylvester." We found the first mention of the name of Saint Sylvester in the third quarter of the 12th century, in the Gospel of Prince Miroslav, the brother of Stefan Nemanja (1166-1196). In the lives of Saint Sylvester in prologues it is stated that he carried out a lot of miracles, while the resurrecting a bull which was killed by a sorcerer Zambres the Great during their contest was especially emphasized. This miracle was usually mentioned in the first sentence of the lives of saint Sylvester found in prologoi. In hagiographical sources January the 2nd is dedicated to the memory of "our holy father Sylvester," while the texts of the lives of Saint Sylvester almost literally rely on the Greek source. There existsa great, almost one century long, timespan from the moment when the name of Saint Sylvester was for the first time mentioned in written sources and the time when his first preserved fresco portrait was painted. Even if we leave the open possibility that the figure of Saint Sylvester of Rome has not been preserved in some monuments, it is difficult to say what caused such a long timespan. Regarding Saint Sylvester's portraits they arepresent on frescoes in at least twenty three Serbian medieval churches. The preserved portraits can be seen in Sopoćani (c. 1265; ill. 1), in Arilje (1296/1297; ill. 2), in King's church in Studenica (1313/1314), in Staro Nagoričino (1316-1318), in the church of Saint Nicolas Orphanos in Thessaloniki (1310-1320), in the church of Saint Demetrios in the Patriarchate of Peć (1322-1324), in Banja Pribojska (c. 1330; ill. 3), in the church of the Mother of God Hodegetria in the Patriarchate of Peć (1335-1337), in the prothesis of the katholikon of the Dečani monastery (1338/1339-1340), in Gornji Kozjak (c. 1340), in the Latin church in Prokuplje (c. 1340), in Bela crkva Karanska (1340-1342), in Lesnovo (1340/1341-1346/1347), in the nartex of the Dečani monastery (1343-1347), in the diakonikon of Ljuboten (1344/1345), in Mateič (1348 - 1352), in the church of the Mother of God at Mali grad on Lake Prespa (1368/1369), in the monastery of Marko (1376-1377), in Ravanica monastery (c. 1385; ill. 4), in Nova Pavlica (before 1386), in Andreaš (c. 1389-1389; ill. 5) and in Resava (1407-1418; ill. 6). In the cave church of Saint Lazar at Tikveš (1350-1375) the head of the saint is rather damaged, while his figure is destroyed. We distinguish between two main types in the portrayal of this bishop: the first one with a special headdress - mitre or tiara (ills. 1, 4, 5, 6) and the one without it (ills. 2, 3). The headdress of Saint Sylvester can take several different forms and there is no fixed type of its depiction. As regards the portraits of Saint Sylvester they display a diversity and nuances in details. On saints' portraits the length of his beard and his age can both vary, as well as his position in the church where he is depicted (the apse, proskomidi, diakonicon, nartex etc.). Saint Sylvester is always depicted as a bishop, and in most churches he makes a gesture of blessing with his right hand and holds a gospel in his left hand. In four monuments he is depicted holding a scroll with a given text from liturgy, and in three of them the texts are today preserved and easy deciphered (in Banja Pribojska - the prayer after the hymn Holy, holy, holy and before the invitation of priest Take, eat…: Together with these blessed powers…; in Lesnovo the text which priest exclaims before the Great Entrance: That, ever guided by Your might…; in Resava the prayer behind the ambo: O Lord, Who blesses, those who bless You… . The practice of depicting Saint Sylvester continued in the later period under the Turkish rule and it relied on the medieval tradition and experiences gained in that period.