Theophilos 8 | Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire |
| Sex | M |
| Floruit | M IX |
| Dates | 858 (taq) / 858 (tpq) |
| Locations | Constantinople (residence); Constantinople |
| Titles | Protospatharios (dignity) |
| Textual Sources | Pseudo-Symeon, Chronographia, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1838), pp. 603-760 (history); Theophanes Continuatus, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1838) (history); Vita Basilii Augusti, in Theophanes Continuatus, pp. 211-353 ( = Theoph. Cont. V) (panegyric); Vita Ignatii Patriarchae, by Nicetas (BHG 817), PG 105.488-574) (hagiography) |
Theophilos 8 was usually called Grylos or Gryllos in the sources, his real name was Theophilos: Ps.-Symeon 663 (τὸν θεομίση Θεόφιλον ἐκεῖνον τὸν καὶ Γρῦλλον). Called Theophilos: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 528B-C. He was a protospatharios: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 528B (cited below).
Theophilos 8 was one of the boon companions of the emperor Michael III (Michael 11): Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 528B (cited below), 528C (ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐιρημένος βωμολόχος ἐκεῖνος Θεόφιλος οὕτω παρρησίᾳ ταῖς βασιλείοις κωμάζων αὐλαῖς, ἀρρητοποιίαις τε πάσαις καὶ ἀσελγείαις καὶ εὐτραπελίαις, δι' αἰσχίστης μιμήσεως τῶν ἱερῶν μυστηρίων κατωρχεῖτο καὶ κατέπαιζε; and cf. below).
Theophilos 8 was one of the small group of intimates with whom Michael 11 used to celebrate mocking imitations of religious rites and ceremonies (ἡ τῶν ὧν εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ φατρία (or φρατρία), Σατυροί τινες οὗτοι καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν αἰσχρουργίαν ἀκόλαστοι, ... οὓς ἐκεῖνος (i.e. Michael 11) διὰ τιμῆς ἄγων τε καὶ αἰδοῦς, τῶν θείων κατολιγωρῶν, or similar: Theoph. Cont. IV 38, p. 200, Ps.-Symeon 661); they were thirteen in all, including the emperor, and they named themselves after the leading metropolitan bishops of the empire; Gryllos (Theophilos 8) was their leader and was known as the patriarch (τὸν γὰρ ἐναγῆ καὶ μιαρώτατον ἐκεῖνον Γρῦλλον τὸ τοῦ πατριάρχου ἐπιφημίσας ὄνομα: Theoph. Cont. V 21 (p. 244); καὶ πατριάρχην τὸν ἔξαρχον τούτων ἐκάλει, οὓτω Γρῦλον καλούμενον: Theoph. Cont. IV 38 (p. 200), Ps.-Symeon 661): Theoph. Cont. IV 38 (p. 200), IV 43 (p. 207), V 21 (Vita Basilii) (p. 244), Ps.-Symeon 661, cf. Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 528B (Θεόφιλόν τινα πρωτοσπαθάριον, ἄνδρα γελωτοποιὸν καὶ μῖμον, καὶ πάντων ἐναγῶν ἐναγέστατον, πατριάρχην ἐπ' ἐκείνοις προχειριζόμενος ὠνόμαζεν; later, the author cites the emperor Michael 11, who allegedly said: Ἐμοὶ μὲν πατριάρχης ὁ Θεόφιλος, ὁ Φώτιος δὲ τῷ Καίσαρι, καὶ τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς ὁ Ἰγνάτιος καθέστηκεν).
Gryllos (Theophilos 8) made fun of the patriarch Ignatios 1 and insulted the empress Theodora 2 by pretending to be the real patriarch: Theoph. Cont. IV 38-39 (pp. 200-202), V 21-23 (Vita Basilii) (pp. 244-247), Ps.-Symeon 661-664. The next patriarch Photios 1 however is said to have joined in the fun and applauded him: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 528C, Ps.-Symeon 662-663. See Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, pp. 82-83 for discussion on his identity.
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