Theophilos 6

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitM IX
Dates838 (taq) / 845 (ob.)
ReligionChristian
LocationsSamarra (deathplace);
Amorion (Galatia);
Syria (residence)
TitlesPatrikios (dignity);
Protospatharios (dignity);
Domestikos, Exkoubita (office)
Textual SourcesGenesii, Josephi, Regum Libri Quattuor, eds. A. Lesmüller-Werner and I. Thurn, CFHB 14 (Berlin, 1978) (history);
Georgius Monachus, Chronicon, ed. C. de Boor, corr. P. Wirth (Stuttgart, 1978) (chronicle);
Leo Grammaticus, Chronographia, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1842) (chronicle);
Martyres XLII Amorienses (BHG 1209), ed. B. Vasilievskii and P. Nikitin, Mémoires de l'Académie imp. de Saint-Pétersbourg, 8th series, 7.2 (1905), pp. 38-56 (hagiography);
Martyres XLII Amorienses (BHG 1210), ed. B. Vasilievskij and P. Nikitin, Mémoires de l' Académie imp. de Saint-Pétersbourg, 8th series, 7. 2 (1905), pp. 38-56 (hagiography);
Martyres XLII Amorienses (BHG 1211) (ed. B. Vasilievskij and P. Nikitin, Mémoires de l' Académie imp. de Saint-Pétersbourg, 8th series, 7.2 (1905), 1-7; ed. Latyshev, Menologium I 190-97 (hagiography);
Martyres XLII Amorienses (BHG 1212), ed. B. Vasilievskij and P. Nikitin, Mémoires de l' Académie imp. de Saint-Pétersbourg, 8th series, 7.2 (1905), pp. 8-21 (hagiography);
Martyres XLII Amorienses (BHG 1213) (ed. B. Vasilievskij and P. Nikitin, Mémoires de l' Académie imp. de Saint-Pétersbourg, 8th series, 7.2 (1905), pp. 22-36 (hagiography);
Martyres XLII Amorienses (BHG 1214) (ed. B. Vasilievskij and P. Nikitin, Mémoires de l' Académie imp. de Saint-Pétersbourg, 8th series, 7. 2 (1905), pp. 61-78 (hagiography);
Pseudo-Symeon, Chronographia, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1838), pp. 603-760 (history);
Theophanes Continuatus, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1838) (history)

Theophilos 6 is recorded in 838; when the Arabs threatened Amorion, the emperor Theophilos 5 sent troops to reinforce those stationed there, from the large army which he had with him at Dorylaion; the commanders of the reinforcements were Theophilos 6, Theodoros 67 Krateros and Baboutzikos (Konstantinos 30 Baboutzikos): Theoph. Cont. III 30 (p. 126). A patrikios, Theophilos 6 was one of the Roman commanders captured at Amorion in 838 and carried off to Syria into captivity; they were all well-known men of good family (τῶν ὀνομαστῶν ἄνδρες οὐκ ἀγεννεῖς, or similar): Leo Gramm. 224, Ps.-Symeon 639, Georg. Mon. Cont. 805 (all call him πατρίκιος; Georg. Mon. Cont. adds καὶ στρατηγός, but the correct reading is στρατηγοί, referring to the following names, as comparison with the other texts shows). Theophilos 6 was a protospatharios (Θεόφιλον πρωτοσπαθάριον): Mart. XLII Amor., p. 50. He was one of the patrikioi and other archegoi captured in Amorion and taken off to Syria: Genesius III 11. Theophilos 5 tried to ransom them, in vain: Genesius III 12.

Theophilos 6 was one of the forty-two martyrs of Amorion, who were executed after seven years in captivity (in 845, at Samarra): Mart. XLII Amor., pp. 1ff., 8, 29, 50, cf. 79ff. (named in hymns). Perhaps included among the strategoi of the seven themes (τοὺς δὲ τῶν ἑπτὰ θεμάτων καθηγεμόνας) captured at Amorion: Mart. XLII Amor., p. 65. He was possibly commander of one of the tagmata.

Theophilos 6 may have been the owner of a surviving seal: Zacos and Veglery 2517A (see Theophilos 41). He may therefore have been domestikos of the Exkoubitores in 838; cf. Treadgold, Revival, p. 442, n. 408.

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