Theophylaktos 8 was the son of Konstantinos 15 Serantapechos and nephew (or cousin, see below) of the empress Eirene 1; in 799 he was spatharios when Eirene sent him from Constantinople to his father (in Athens) with a message that led to the blinding of the sons of Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) (ἡ βασίλισσα Εἰρήνη ἀποστέλλει πρὸς τὸν πατρίκιον Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν Σεραντάπηχον Θεοφύλακτον, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, σπαθάριον ὄντα καὶ ἀνεψιὸν αὐτῆς. καὶ πάντας ἐτύφλωσε καὶ διεσκέδασε τὴν κατ' αὐτῆς βουλὴν αὐτῶν): Theoph. AM 6291. See also Mango and Scott, Theophanes, p. 652 n. 6 and cross-reference, Winkelmann, Rangstruktur, p. 94. The relationship implied by ἀνεψιός may be nephew, in which case Theophylaktos 8's father Konstantinos 15 was a brother or brother-in-law of the empress Eirene 1; if so it seems strange that Theophanes does not mention this relationship. Presumably the relationship of Theophylaktos 8 to Eirene 1 was closer than that of Eirene 1 and Konstantinos 15. The word ἀνεψιός may therefore here mean cousin, and Konstantinos 15 therefore would be a more remote relation of Eirene 1, possibly uncle.

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