Philaretos 1 is St Philaretos, whose Life was written by one of his grandsons, Niketas 8, in 821/822. Philaretos was famous for his generosity: Zon. XV 10. 12. Son of Georgios 10; of noble family, of Pontus and Galatia, he himself lived at Amnia in Paphlagonia: Nicetas, Vita Philareti, p. 113, cf. p. 151, line 15 (Φιλάρετος ὁ Ἀμνιάτης). The family was of Armenian descent; see Maria 2, and cf. below. His mother was possibly called Anna; see Anna 16 and cf. Synax. Eccl. Const. 269, 32ff. Philaretos 1 was born in 702 (see below). Husband of Theosebo 1, father of Ioannes 12, Hypatia 1 and Euanthia 1: Nicetas, Vita Philareti, p. 115, lines 3-7. He had numerous grandchildren, viz. Anthis 1, Bardas 1, Euanthia 2, Euphemia 1, Eustathios 1, Helene 1, Hypatia 2, Hypatia 3, Kosmou 1, Maria 2, Myranthia 1, Niketas 7, Niketas 8, Petronas 2, Petros 4, Philaretos 2 and Philaretos 3. He was originally very wealthy and owned many fertile and well-stocked estates (his property, as listed by Niketas 8, Nicetas, Vita Philareti, pp. 113-114, is as follows: six hundred cattle, one hundred yoke of oxen, eight hundred mares at pasture, eighty horses and mules for draft work, twelve thousand sheep, and forty-eight large estates, each self-contained, well watered and fertile; in addition he had numerous servants and many possessions), but in the course of time, through his extravagant generosity, he grew very much poorer (Nicetas, Vita Philareti, pp. 115-135). He received help from a friend who was a dioiketes (Anonymus 174): Nicetas, Vita Philareti, p. 133.

The family fortunes were abundantly revived in 788, when a bride show was held for the emperor Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) and Philaretos 1's granddaughter Maria 2 was successful; following this another granddaughter Myranthia 1 married a wealthy patrikios (Konstantinakios 1) and a third was married to the ruler of the Lombards Grimoald 1 (Argouses): Nicetas, Vita Philareti, pp. 135-143. His daughter (in fact his grand-daughter, Maria 2), said variously to be from the Armeniakon theme or from Paphlagonia, was married to the emperor Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8): Zon. XV 10. 12.

Philaretos 1 remained in Constantinople for the next four years and all his family grew very rich: Nicetas, Vita Philareti, pp. 143-151. He is said to have rejected all honours except the dignity of the consulship (μήτε ἀξίωμα μέγα λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ βασίλεως παρέξ τὸ ὑπατικίν), content to be known as the grandfather of the emperor (πάππος βασιλέως): Nicetas, Vita Philareti, p. 151. He died four years after the marriage of Maria 2 to the emperor Konstantinos 8, on 1 December 792, and was buried on the following day, with great ceremonial, in the monastery of Krisis: Nicetas, Vita Philareti, p. 151, lines 8 and 17, p. 161, line 28, and cf. pp. 151-165 passim. He was ninety years old (ἔτων γενομένος ἐνενήκοντα): Nicetas, Vita Philareti, p. 159, line 34 (and therefore was born in 702).

Lykastos 1 was his protovestiarios at Constantinople: Nicetas, Vita Philareti, pp. 149, 151.

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