f Bulgaria. Then
followed a period of comparative peace. The Roman emperors saw that on
the Balkan frontier their Empire had to be won or lost, and strengthened
the defences there. Thus Diocletian made his headquarters at Nicomedia.
Finally, Constantine moved the capital altogether to Constantinople.
Goth and Roman at this time showed a disposition to a peaceful
amalgamation, and the Bulgarian population was rapidly becoming a
Romano-Gothic one. Christianity had been introduced, and the Gothic
historian Jordanes tells of a Gothic people living upon the northern
side of the Balkan Mountains:

There were also certain other Goths, who are called Minores, an
immense people, with their bishop and primate Vulfila, who is
said, moreover, to have taught them letters; and they are at
this day dwelling in Moesia, in the district called
Nicopolitana[1] at the foot of Mount Haemus, a numerous race,
but poor and unwarlike, abounding only in cattle of divers
kinds, and rich in pastures and forest timber, having little
wheat, though the earth is fertile in producing other crops.
They do not appear to have any vineyards: those who want wine
buy it of their neighbours; but most of them drink only milk.

[1] Around the modern town of Tirnova.

A contemporary of the saintly Ulfilas (who surely should be accepted as
the first national hero of the Bulgarians) states that Ulfilas had
originally lived on the other side of the Danube and had been driven by
persecution to settle in Bulgaria. This contemporary, Auxentius,
records:

And when, through the envy and mighty working of the enemy,
there was kindled a persecution of the Christians by an
irreligious and sacrilegious Judge of the Goths, who spread
tyrannous affright through the barbarian land, it came to pass
that Satan, who desired to do evil, unwillingly did good; that
those whom he sought to make deserters became confessors of the
faith; that the persecutor was conquered, and his victims wore
the wreath of victory. Then, after the glorious martyrdom of
many servants and handmaids of Christ, as the persecution still
raged vehemently, after seven years of his episcopate were
expired, the blessed Ulfilas being driven from "Varbaricum" with
a great multitude of confessors, was honourably received on the
soil of Roumania by the Emperor Constantius of blessed memory.
Thus as God by the h