Theodoros 67, known as Krateros (Θεόδωρος ὁ Κρατερὸς), was a eunuch and of humble origins; during the reign of Theophilos 5 he publicly challenged an Arab champion soldier and horseman, who was displaying his skill at victory celebrations in Constantinople in honour of Manuel 1 in the emperor's presence; threatened with death if he failed, he quickly overthrew the Arab and humiliated him; the emperor rewarded him (grudgingly, according to Theophanes Continuatus) with words of praise and handsome clothes; he is specifically identified as the future leader of the Forty-Two Martyrs (μετὰ βραχὺ ἀρχηγὸς τῆς τῶν ἁγίων μβ' μαρτύρων φάλαγγος γεγονώς): Theoph. Cont. III 23 (pp. 115-116), Scyl., p. 69, 57-74, Zon. XV 28. 6-10.

Theodoros 67, called Krateros (or Karteros), was a eunuch; formerly a priest, he later took up a military career; in 838 he was a protospatharios and was in Amorion when it was captured by the Arabs; he was one of the army commanders carried off into captivity by the Arabs and executed seven years later after refusing to abjure their faith: Leo Gramm. 224 (Θεόδωρος πρωτοσπαθάριος ὁ Κρατερός), Ps.-Symeon 639 (Θεόδωρος πρωτοσπαθάριος καὶ εὐνοῦχος ὁ Κρατερός), Georg. Mon. Cont. 805 (Θεόδωρος πρωτοσπαθάριος εὐνοῦχος ὁ Κρατερός), Mart. XLII Amor. (BHG 1209-1214) passim, cf. especially BHG 1209, p. 46, lines 28-29 (Θεόδωρον τὸν ἀήττητον, Καρτερὸν οὕτω προσαγορευόμενον, περιφανῆ τε πρωτοσπαθάριον, εὐνοῦχον τῇ φύσει), BHG 1211, p. 6 (words supposedly addressed to him by an Arab officer - σὺ κληρικός ποτε ὢν καὶ τοῦ τάγματος τῶν παρὰ Χριστιανοῖς λεγομένων ἱερέων, ἐπεὶ τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀπεβάλου βαθμόν, δόρυ τε καὶ στρατιωτικὴν ἐνδέδυσαι πανοπλίαν καὶ ἀνδροκτόνος ἐγένου, τί νῦν σχηματίζῃ Χριστιανὸς φανῆναι, πρὸ πολλοῦ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν ἐξαρνησάμενοσ;) (similar BHG 1213, p. 32, BHG 1214, p. 75), BHG 1213, p. 22 (title: Θεοδώρου πρωτοσπαθαρίου), Theoph. Cont. III 30 (p. 126) (one of the officers in command of Amorion and subsequently one of the leaders of the Forty-Two Martyrs), III 36 (pp. 133-134), Zon. XV 29. 10 (Θεόδωρος ὁ Κρατερός, a defender of Amorion and one of the Forty Two Martyrs), 29. 18 (named among the patrikioi carried off into captivity), Scyl., p. 75 (sent to defend Amorion), p. 78 (one of the patrikioi captured when it fell). He was physically strong, brave and steadfast in his beliefs: BHG 1212, p. 13 (Θεόδωρον τοὔνομα, ὃν δὴ καὶ Καρτερὸν ἐπίκλησιν ἔλεγον. τομίας δὲ ἦν οὗτος ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἀληθείαις καρτερὸς ἐς τὰ μάλιστα καὶ ῥώμην σωματικὴν καὶ ἀνδρείαν ψυχικὴν ἐνδεικνύμενος), BHG 1213, p. 22, line 22. He was elderly at the time of his martyrdom: BHG 1213, p. 31, line 35, p. 32, line 3. He was a friend of his fellow martyr, the patrikios Konstantinos 30: BHG 1211, p. 6.

Theodoros 67 was the first of the martyrs to be killed: BHG 1209, p. 46, BHG 1211, p. 6, BHG 1212, p. 13, BHG 1213, pp. 29, 31, BHG 1214, p. 75. He is named in hymns: see Vasilievskii and Nikitin, pp. 79ff. The date of the martyrdom was 8 March in a sixth indiction under Michael 11, Theodora 2 and Thekla 1, i.e. 6 March 845: BHG 1209, p. 52, lines 7ff. On this man, see Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, pp. 163 (citing a seal, P. Maas, BZ 20 (1911), 613, on which Winkelmann, Rangstruktur, p. 83, with n. 3, 186), and on the name Krateros, cf. Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, p. 216 with n. 797. They were martyred at Samarra.

(Publishable link for this person: )