Theodoros 174

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitM IX-E X
Dates864 (taq) / 877 (tpq)
ReligionChristian
EthnicityPhrygian
LocationsConstantinople;
Egypt (birthplace);
Euchaita (Helenopontus) (officeplace);
Stoudios (Monastery of, Constantinople) (officeplace);
Santabaris (Phrygia) (residence);
Stoudios (Monastery of, Constantinople) (residence);
Santabaris (Phrygia);
Stoudios (Monastery of, Constantinople);
Patrai (Hellas);
Euchaita (Helenopontus);
Athens (Hellas) (exileplace);
Santabaris (Phrygia) (birthplace)
OccupationBishop;
Hegoumenos;
Monk
TitlesApokrisiarios (office);
Bishop, Euchaita (Helenopontus) (office);
Bishop, Patrai (Hellas) (office);
Hegoumenos, Stoudios (Constantinople) (office);
Metropolitan, Patrai (Hellas) (office);
Protothronos (office)
Textual SourcesPhotius, Epistulae, ed. B. Laourdas and L. G. Westerink, 3 vols. (Leipzig, 1983-85) (letters);
Vita Ignatii Patriarchae, by Nicetas (BHG 817), PG 105.488-574) (hagiography);
Vita Nicolai Studitae (BHG 1365), PG 105. 863-925 (hagiography)

Theodoros 174 was a native of Santabaris (in Phrygia), to which he owed his nickname Santabarenos (Θεόδωρος ὁ ἐκ χωρίου τοῦ Σανταβάρεως ἐξωρμώμενος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Σανταβαρινὸς παρωνύμως ὑπό τινων ἐπονομαζόμενος); he succeeded Eugenios 6 as head of the Stoudite monastery in Constantinople, and held the post for one year, then was replaced by Sabas 6; he is described as deputy head of the monastery (ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον ἀντιπροσωποῦντα τὸ μοναστήριον): Vita Nic. Stud. 912B-C. Eugenios apparently died in 864; Theodoros 174 was therefore head of the monastery in 864 and 865. His education, according to a very hostile source, the Life of Ignatios by Niketas 65, had apparently been in the fields of prophecy by means of dreams and soothsaying: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 568D (μαντικῆς δὲ, μᾶλλον δὲ μαγικῆς, φασὶ, καὶ ὀνειροκριτικῆς, ἤτοι δαιμονιώδους σοφίας καὶ ψυχικῆς μετεσχηκότα). Theodoros, nicknamed Santabarenos (τὸν Σανταβαρηνὸν οἶδ' ὅτι πάντες ἀκούετε), was an abbas (in appearance only, according to Niketas 65: ἄχρι τοῦ σχήματος τῶν ἱματίων ἀββᾶν) and an acquaintance of Photios 1, who introduced him to the emperor Basilios 7 as a holy man with prophetic gifts; according to Niketas 65, his gifts were rather the result of sorcery and magic, and he was a thoroughly evil person; he aided Photios 1, according to this hostile tradition, to regain the patriarchate: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 568C-D.

During Photios 1's exile, he appointed Theodoros 174 to the position of metropolitan bishop of Patrai, a post that he could not actually take up and so among Photios 1's companions he was alluded to as the bishop of Nowhere (Θεόδωρον ἐκεῖνον, ὃν ἐν ἐξορίᾳ καθήμενος αὐτὸς μὲν εἰς τὰς Πάτρας ἐχειροτόνησε μητροπολίτην. Ἀφαντοπόλεως δὲ τοῦτον ἀστείως οἱ παρ' ἐκείνῳ κατωνόμαζον; soon after becoming patriarch for the second time Photios 1 sent Theodoros 174 as apokrisiarios (αποκρισάριον) to pope John VIII (Ioannes 243): Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 572C. Later Theodoros 174 coveted the bishopric of Euchaita, of which he was a neighbour, and was appointed by Photios 1, who expelled the previous incumbent Euphemianos 1; he is said also to have secured control over other bishoprics which he coveted though they were subject to neighbouring metropolitan bishops, thanks again to Photios 1; he also occupied the special status of protothronos (see below) conferred on him by Photios 1: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 572D-573A (Εὐφημιανὸν ... Ὃς Εὐχαϊτῶν μὲν ἐπίσκοπος ἦν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Σανταβαρηνὸς τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐκείνης ὡς γείτων ὠρέγετο, τὸν μὲν βίᾳ σχολάζειν ἀναγκάζει, τὸν δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονεῖ. Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπισκοπὰς ἐκ τῶν γειτνιαζουσῶν μητροπόλεων, ὅσας ἐκεῖνος ἤθελεν, ἀφαιρεῖται, καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτῳ. Καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῳ καθίζων πρωτόθρονον τοῦτον κατωνόμαζε). The protothronos was the senior ranked metropolitan in a patriarchate; under Constantinople it was normally the bishop of Kaisareia in Cappadocia. Photios 1 apparently conferred the distinction on Euchaita while Theodoros 174 occupied the see; see ODB III 1749 (s. v. Protothronos) and Beck, Kirche 167. See ODB III 1839.

He was a protégé of Photios 1. While hegoumenos, Theodoros 174 was the addressee of five surviving letters from the patriarch Photios 1, all probably to be dated in 864 or 865 (cf. above), and all addressed either Θεοδώρῳ ἡγουμένῳ or τῷ αὐτῷ: Photius, Ep. 65, 142, 143, 203, 205 (I 109ff., 195ff., II 102-106 Laourdas-Westerink). The content of three of the letters is theological: Ep. 65 (on icons), 203, 205. In the other two Theodoros 174 is urged not to let himself be misled by eloquent flatterers: Ep. 142, 143.

He was allegedly born in Egypt (τὸ γένος) in Manichaean circles and brought up by Magi; Sermo in Theophano (BHG 1795), cap. 14, pp. 35. 7-36. 3. See also Vita Euthymii 40-44 (ed. Karlin-Hayter, BHG 651); Vita Theophanous (BHG 1794); Epistula Styliani ad Stephanum papam (Mansi XVI 432DE).

A monk and priest, he was close to the emperor Basil I (Basilios 7) (ἦν τις τῶν πάνυ φιλουμένων καὶ πιστευομένων παρὰ τῷ ἀοιδίμῳ Βασιλείῳ μοναχός, ὡς ἐδόκει, καὶ ἱερεύς, καὶ φίλος αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπουργὸς δεξιός, ὃν Σανδαβαρηνὸν κατωνόμαζον), but was elsewhere widely distrusted; the emperor's son Leo 25 criticised him as a sorcerer and a bad influence on the emperor; in revenge Theodoros 174 contrived to turn the emperor against his son: Theoph. Cont. V 100 (pp. 348ff.). Theodoros 174 was archbishop of Euchaita (ἀρχιεπίσκοπος: Theoph. Cont. VI 5, p. 356, line 2), from where Leo 25 summoned him on becoming emperor (in 886); Theodoros 174 (Θεόδωρος ὁ Σανδαβαρηνός) was accused of turning Basilios 7 against Leo 25 and of advising Basilios 7 to nominate a relative of his or of the patriarch Photios 1 as next emperor; under questioning he denied this and the charges were not proven but he was nevertheless beaten by Leo 25 and exiled to Athens; shortly afterwards he was recalled from there and blinded and exiled to the East; years later he was summoned back to Constantinople by the emperor and allowed to live on revenues from the Nea Ekklesia; he died in the reign of Constantine and his mother Zoe (i.e. Constantine VII Porphyrogennitos and Zoe Carbonopsina, between 914 and 920): Theoph. Cont. VI 5 (pp. 354-356).

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