Anastasios 58

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitE IX
Dates816 (taq) / 819 (tpq)
PmbZ No.315
ReligionChristian;
Iconophile
LocationsSicily (officeplace);
Constantinople (officeplace);
Sicily (residence);
Constantinople (residence);
Sicily;
Constantinople
TitlesUnknown (office);
Unknown (office)
Textual SourcesTheodorus Studita, Epistulae, ed. G. Fatouros, CFHB 31.1-2 (Berlin/New York, 1992) (letters)

Anastasios 58 was a protospatharios; addressee of a letter from Theodoros 15 (Theodore the Stoudite) written between 816 and early 819; apparently of noble birth (τῆς εὐγενείας σου: p. 556, line 8), he is addressed by Theodoros as δέσποτα (p. 557, line 22); Theodoros also alludes to their φιλία (p. 556, line 2); he was a longstanding benefactor of Theodoros 15, whom he had helped in former days when Theodoros was in Constantinople and when he was in exile; he himself was for part of the time in Constantinople and for part of the time in Sicily, from where he continued to give Theodoros support; at the date of the letter he was again in Constantinople, and still helping Theodoros during his exile under Leo V (Leo 15) (τοιαύτη δὴ ἡ περιφανής σου καὶ ἀγάπη καὶ εὐσέβεια πρός με τὸν δύστηνον ἔκπαλαι καὶ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο καὶ παροῦσα κατ'ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ἐν τοσούτῳ ἀπειροπληθεῖ μήκει διεστῶσα, ἀπὸ Σικελίας με εὐεργετοῦσα ἐν τῷ Βυζαντίῳ ὄντα καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Βυζαντίου ὧδε κἀκεῖ περιωρισμένον, ὥσπερ καὶ τανῦν: p. 556, lines 3-7); Anastasios probably held office in Sicily, and in other places, and more recently in Constantinople, where he is said to have merited the favour of the emperor through his qualities of excellence (τὴν ἐν ἅπασιν ἀρετὴν καὶ φιλοθεΐαν σου, ἣν ᾄδει οὐ μόνον Σικελία καὶ ἡ τίσδε χώρα καὶ τίς, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ βασιλεύουσα πόλις. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ βασιλεῦσι σὺ φιλητὸς καὶ τοῖς ἐν τέλει, καὶ αἱ ἀξίαι σοὶ ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς: pp. 556-557, lines 9-13); his love of God is said to have earned him the love of God and of God's people (οὕτω φιλῶν τὸν θεὸν πεφίλησαι καὶ ὑπ'αὐτοῦ καὶ παρὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ, p. 557, lines 13-14; in the context of the time, this suggests that he was in fact a supporter of the veneration of icons); he is described as surrounded by iconoclasts: Theod. Stud. Ep. 401, pp. 556-557 (addressed Ἀναστασίῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ). Possibly husband of Albeneka 1: Theod. Stud. Ep. 395, pp. 549-551.

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