The Byzantine missionary who, with his brother Methodius, created the first Slavic alphabet and brought Christianity and literacy to the Slavic peoples.
Life
Cyril (826–869), a learned monk of Thessalonica, was sent with his brother Methodius to evangelize the Slavs of Great Moravia. To render scripture and liturgy in their tongue he devised the Glagolitic alphabet, ancestor of the Cyrillic script that bears his name, and translated sacred texts into Old Church Slavonic. Their mission, defended against opposition to non-Latin liturgy, laid the foundation of Slavic Christian and literary culture; the brothers are honored as "Apostles to the Slavs" and co-patrons of Europe.