Carpathian Mountains, the Alps and the Pyrenees, with ramifications
north and south (Germany, England and Spain). In the middle of the 8th
century the emperor Constantine Copronymus settled a number of Armenian
Paulicians in Thracia. These were noted heretics and were persecuted by
the Greek Church with fire and sword. The empress Theodora killed,
drowned or hanged no fewer than 100,000. In the 10th century the emperor
John Zimisces, himself of Armenian origin, transplanted no less than
200,000 Armenian Paulicians to Europe and settled them in the
neighbourhood of Philippopolis, which henceforth became the centre of a
far-reaching propaganda. Settled along the Balkans as a kind of bulwark
against the invading Bulgars, the Armenians on the contrary soon
fraternized with the newcomers, whom they converted to their own views;
even a prince of the Bulgarians adopted their teaching. According to
Slavonic documents the founder of this sect was a certain priest
Bogumil, who "imbibed the Manichaean teaching and flourished at the time
of the Bulgarian emperor Peter" (927-968). According to another source
the founder was called Jeremiah (or there was another priest associated
with him by the name of Jeremiah). The Slavonic sources are unanimous on
the point that his teaching was Manichaean. A Synodikon from the year
1210 adds the names of his pupils or "apostles," Mihail, Todur, Dobri,
Stefan, Vasilie and Peter, all thoroughly Slavonic names. Zealous
missionaries carried their doctrines far and wide. In 1004, scarcely 15
years after the introduction of Christianity into Russia, we hear of a
priest Adrian teaching the same doctrines as the Bogomils. He was
imprisoned by Leontie, bishop of Kiev. In 1125 the Church in the south
of Russia had to combat another heresiarch named Dmitri. The Church in
Bulgaria also tried to extirpate Bogomilism. The popes in Rome whilst
leading the Crusade against the Albigenses did not forget their
counterpart in the Balkans and recommended the annihilation of the
heretics.

The Bogomils spread westwards, and settled first in Servia; but at the
end of the 12th century Stephen Nemanya, king of Servia, persecuted them
and expelled them from the country. Large numbers took refuge in Bosnia,
where they were known under the name of Patarenes (q.v.) or Patareni.
From Bosnia their influence extended into Italy (Piedmont). The
Hungarians undertook many crusades against the heretics in Bosnia, but
towards the