The story of Theophilos 3 in the Synaxarium of Constantinople appears in two versions, as the third entry under the date 30 January; version A is in column 434, version B, at the foot of the page, is in columns 433-434. He is referred to as Theophilos the Younger: Synax. Eccl. Const., version A, title Ἀθλῆσις τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Θεοφίλου τοῦ νέου. Born and brought up in Constantinople, Theophilos 3 lived in the reign of Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) and Eirene 1: Synax. Eccl. Const., version A, col. 434; version B, col. 433/434. He advanced in his career and held important offices: Synax. Eccl. Const., version A (καὶ αὐξηθεὶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς μεγίστας ἄρχας προέλθων). Described as a member of the senate (ἑῖς τῆς συγκλητοῦ): Synax. Eccl. Const., version B. In 790 he was strategos of the Kibyrrhaiotai: Theoph. AM 6282 (ὁ τῶν Κιβυραιωτῶν στρατηγός), Synax. Eccl. Const., version B (στρατηγὸς δὲ ἀποσταλεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέων ἐν τῷ θέματι τῶν Κιβυρραιωτῶν). He then engaged an Arab naval force in battle (in the Gulf of Attaleia, according to Theophanes), with fellow strategoi, but was abandoned by them and was taken prisoner by the Arabs and carried off to the caliph Harun 1; neither threats nor promises could move him and he refused to abjure Christianity; he was held in prison for four years and was then beheaded after refusing to take part in a Muslim religious ceremony; he was subsequently regarded as a martyr (μάρτυς ἄριστος ἐδείχθη): Synax. Eccl. Const., version A, version B, Theoph. AM 6282 (μάρτυς ἄριστος ἀνεδείχθη).

At least two strategoi were involved in this attempt to oppose the Arabs (so Theophanes, who writes of ἀμφότεροι οἱ στρατηγοὶ) and possibly three others (so the Synaxarium, version B (ἑτέρους τρεῖς στρατηγούς); possibly they were the strategoi of the Anatolikoi and the Thrakesion and the strategos of the fleet of Hellas; cf. Treadgold, Revival, pp. 94-95 and p. 402, n. 117. Theophilos 3's execution was depicted by the painter Pantoleon (eleventh century) in the manuscript Vaticanus graecus 1613, p. 359 (reproduced in monochrome by Treadgold, op. cit., p. 95). On Pantoleon, see the articles in I. Sevcenko, Ideology, Letters and Culture in the Byzantine World (Variorum Reprints, London, 1982), nos. XI and XII. Possibly identical with Theophilos 18.

(Publishable link for this person: )