Theodoros 68 was the brother of Theophanes 6: Theoph. Cont. III 14 (p. 104), Leo Gramm. 226, Ps.-Symeon 641, Georg. Mon. Cont. 806, Zon. XV 27. 11, Vita Nic. Stud. 901A, Scyl., p. 61, line 46. They were highly educated (λογιότητι διαφέροντας ... τῶν πολλῶν): Theoph. Cont. III 14 (p. 104), cf. Scyl., p. 61, lines 46-47 (ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ διαφερόντας ... τῶν πολλῶν). They were natives of Palestine who went to live in the Byzantine Empire (in Constantinople, see below); they were firm opponents of the iconoclast beliefs of the emperor Theophilos 5, at whom they poked fun; he accused them of not obeying the law and had them beaten about the face and flogged to the point of death and then he ordered the hyparchos (Anonymus 50) to take them away and to inscribe on their foreheads certain verses which he provided; after this was done (according to Pseudo-Symeon the verses extended onto their chests) they were sent away into exile: Theodoros died during their exile: Leo Gramm. 226-227, Ps.-Symeon 641-643, Georg. Mon. Cont. 806-808, Vita Nic. Stud. 900C-901A (they came ἐκ Μωαβίτιδος).

In Theophanes Continuatus their encounter with Theophilos 5 in the triklinon of the Lausiakon is described, when they publicly showed that the emperor was relying on falsified texts to support his case against icons; they were then taken out into the inner garden of the Lausiakon, beaten and had the verses inscribed on their foreheads: Theoph. Cont. III 14 (pp. 104-106), cf. Zon. XV 27. 11. Pseudo-Symeon adds that they were exiled to a place called Kartalimen (on the coast of Bithynia, see Ramsay, Historical Geography, pp. 183-184), from where they made contact with another imprisoned iconophile, Methodios 1, and exchanged verses with him (through an unnamed fisherman, Anonymus 229): Ps.-Symeon 642-643 (a story not found in the other earlier chroniclers), Zon. XV 28. 35-37. His corpse was subsequently interred in the monastery of Michaelitzes at Chalcedon by its founder, the emperor Michael III: Pseudo-Symeon 643. Theophanes Continuatus, Pseudo-Symeon, Georgius Monachus Continuatus and Zonaras cite the supposed verses inscribed on their bodies, which allege that they were expelled from Jerusalem as apostates and came to Constantinople to continue in their wrong beliefs: Theoph. Cont. III 14 (pp. 105-106), Ps.-Symeon 641-642, Georg. Mon. Cont. 807, Zon. XV 27. 12. Because of the punishment inflicted on them the two brothers came to be known as the Graptoi: BHG 1745z, 1746, 1746a, 1793. At Theoph. Cont. IV 11 (p. 160) both brothers are described as present at the celebrations given in Constantinople by the empress Theodora (in 843) over the Triumph of Orthodoxy; Theodoros however may have already died, in exile (but see below). He and Theophanes 6 were barbarically treated by the emperor Theophilos; champions of orthodoxy, they had their faces inscribed: Genesius III 19, Scyl., pp. 61-63.

There is more detail about him in the Vita Michaelis Syncelli (ed. Cunningham). Brother of Theophanes 6: Vita Mich. Sync. 5, 30. Theodoros 68 was three years older than his brother Theophanes 6: Vita Mich. Sync. 5. He was probably born in c. 775 and (see below) died in c. 845. When he was twenty-five and his brother twenty-two they went to Michael Syncellus (Michael 51) at the laura of St Sabas, where he tonsured them and made them monks and instructed them in grammar and philosophy and in some works of poetry, so that they rapidly became famous for their learning; later they were consulted by the orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem; when Michael 51 was made synkellos of the patriarch of Jerusalem (in 811), Michael 51 with his disciples (τῶν αὐτοῦ δύο φοιτητῶν) Theodoros 68 and Theophanes 6 were moved from the laura to live in the monastery of the Spoudaioi at Jerusalem; a few days later Thomas 60 ordained Theodoros 68 and Theophanes 6 priests of the Church of the Anastasis: Vita Mich. Sync. 5. The two brothers and the monk Iob 2 accompanied Michael 51 when he set out from Jerusalem to visit Constantinople and Rome: Vita Mich. Sync. 8. In Constantinople they were lodged in the monastery of the Chora, at imperial expense: Vita Mich. Sync. 9. A few days later they were summoned to an audience with the emperor, in the Chrysotriklinos, and Michael 51 stated that the purpose of their visit was to ask him to allow the display and veneration of icons: Vita Mich. Sync. 10. The patriarchal letter, addressed to Leo 15 and Theodotos 2, was read aloud: Vita Mich. Theod. 11.

Afterwards they were imprisoned in the prison of Phiale, where they refused to eat the food sent to them because it came from heretics: Vita Mich. Sync. 12. They were visited by a man of learning (unnamed, probably Ioannes 5) sent by the emperor to change their minds but they remained obstinate: Vita Mich. Sync. 13. They were now separated; Michael 51 and Iob 2 remained in prison in the Phiale while Theodoros 68 and Theophanes 6 were exiled to the island of Aphousia (which they allegedly reached in August of the seventh indiction, i.e. August 814, wrongly); the governor of the island (Anonymus 632) was ordered to treat them harshly, but he allowed them to continue their normal ascetic life; they were active in writing letters in support of the veneration of icons: Vita Mich. Sync. 14, cf. 17 (on Aphousia they continued their letter writing).

Because of their continued activities they were ordered by Theophilos 5 to be brought back from the island of Aphousia to Constantinople (cf. Anonymus 633), where they arrived on the eighth of July in the fourteenth indiction (i.e. 8 July 836); they were confined in the prison called Praitorion until summoned to appear before the emperor in the Chrysotriklinos (cf. Anonymus 634): Vita Mich. Sync. 18. When brought before him he first asked their country to which they replied "The land of the Moabites" (τῆς Μωαβίτιδος); he then asked why they had come to his country, but before they could reply had them severely flogged; they gave no further reply to his question and he then ordered that verses already prepared (cf. Christodoulos 3) be inscribed on their foreheads, after which they were to be handed over to two (unidentified) Muslims and returned to their own country; they themselves had a reputation for their skill as poets (ἄριστα τούτοις ἤσκηται ἡ τῶν ποιητικῶν σκεμμάτων ἀκριβεία): Vita Mich. Sync. 19. The verses, twelve lines of iambics were engraved on their foreheads in the Praitorion prison; they describe them as heretics who were expelled from Jerusalem and then went to Constantinople where they were branded as criminals and sent back again: Vita Mich. Sync. 20.

While they were en route back to the Praitorion for the engraving they were recalled at the Thermastra before the emperor and subjected to a frightful flogging, before again leaving for the prison; again en route they were stopped and the logothetes of the Dromos (Anonymus 771) asked them why they had rejoiced at the death of the emperor Leo V (Leo 15); they denied rejoicing but condemned his heresy, and were then allowed to proceed to prison: Vita Mich. Sync. 21. Four days later they were brought before the prefect (ὕπαρχος) Anonymus 50, and again threatened if they did not give way to the emperor; they rejected an attempt to help them by the father of Christodoulos (Anonymus 635), who queried whether they had ever actually worshipped icons: Vita Mich. Sync. 22. Their faces were then engraved with the verses, on orders of the prefect (Anonymus 50), on July eighteenth in the fourteenth indiction (i.e. 18 July 836; probably correct, see M. B. Cunningham, The Life of Michael the Synkellos, Belfast Byzantine Texts and Translations 1 (Belfast, 1991), p. 160, n. 162, referring to the letter of Theodoros, PG 116, 680A): Vita Mich. Sync. 23. On the emperor's orders, they were then confined in the prison of the Praitorion, the same as Michael 51, who wrote them a letter of encouragement and appreciation, with which he associated both Iob 2 and Methodios 1; they all remained in prison for seven years before an end came to their sufferings: Vita Mich. Sync. 24.

The brother of Theophanes 6, Theodoros 68 died at the age of seventy on 27 December; author of a book known as Kynolykos citing passages from the Bible confuting the iconoclasts; he was buried by Theophanes 6 and Michael 51 Syncellus: Vita Mich. Sync. 30. On the Kunolukos, see Cunningham, op. cit. p. 110, 26-29 with p. 168, n. 200. Theodoros 68 also wrote a letter, addressed to the bishop of Kyzikos, Ioannes 529, describing the ordeal of himself and his brother: Letter to Ioannes of Kyzikos, cited in Vita Theodori Grapti (G 116) 672B-680A.

They were exiled to the island of Aphousia: Acta Davidis, Symeonis et Georgii 239, 2-18.

The feastday of Theodoros 68 was the 27th or 28th of December: Synax. Eccl. Const. 352, 4-354, 3 (BHG 1746e) (28 Dec.); 349, 47ff. (27 Dec.); 65, 3 (21 Sept.); 69/70, 41 (22 Sept.); 130, 24-131, 20 (11 Oct.); Menol. Bas. 229B-C (28 Dec.); Typicon Mateos 164 (27 Dec.); 42 (22 Sept.).

With his brother Theophanes 6, Theodoros 68 was a confessor (ὁμολογητὴν) who faced the tyrant (ὁ τύραννος) Theophilos 5: Scyl., p. 61, lines 45-46. Both Theophanes 6 and Theodoros 68 stood for the faith in the Lausiac Triklinos of the Great Palace: Scyl., p. 61, lines 47-48. Theophanes 6 and Theodoros 68 were asked where Scripture supported the use of icons, and citing the prophet Isaiah, they argued about copies of the texts in the Patriarchal Library in the Thomiates: Scyl., pp. 61-62, lines 53-64. Theophanes 6 and Theodoros 68 were taken to the Lausiac garden (ἐν τῷ τοῦ Λαυσιακοῦ μεσοκηπίῳ) and barbarically (βαρβαρικῶς) inscribed (tattooed) with iambic verse: Scyl., p. 62, lines 72-75. The quoted iambics describe Theophanes 6 and Theodoros 68 as having been driven from Jerusalem as apostates and continuing their impiety in the City, the seat of power for which they were branded and sent back to Jerusalem: Scyl., pp. 62-63, lines 77-88. Theophanes 6 and Theodoros 68 received crowns of confession and martyrdom (τὸν τῆς ὁμολογίας καὶ μαρτυρίας ... στέφανον): Scyl., p. 63, lines 89-90. Theophanes 6 and Theodoros 68 were imprisoned with Michael 51, synkellos of Jerusalem in Constantinople: Scyl., p. 63, lines 93-96.

See further references in Theophanes of Caesarea, Laudatio Theodori Grapti (BHG 1745z); Vita Theodori Grapti (BHG 1746); Versus Iambici XII Auctore Theophilo Imperatore (BHG 1746a); Vita Theophanis Grapti (BHG 1793); (BHG 1746c); and Theophanes Graptos, Kanon on Theodoros, Menaia II, Rome 1889, 698.

See also ODB III, p. 2042 with references and Cunningham, op. cit., pp. XIVff.; 38ff.; 151ff.;.

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