St. Theodore, 9th century anti-iconoclast
Encyclopedia
St Theodore (died 820) was a hieromonk of the Orthodox Church known as a strong opponent of Byzantine Iconoclasm.
Theodore was born in Constantinople
to a family with strong connections to the Orthodox Church. Ordained in 787, in 794 he became abbot of the Symboleon monastery in Bithynia
, and later escaped from Saracen
raids to Constantinople where he became an abbot again. He clashed with successive emperors (Constantine VI, Nicephorus I, Leo V the Armenian
, and Michael II the Stammerer
) on the issue of iconoclasm (then for the second time in ascendancy in the Empire but strongly opposed by St Theodore). For this he suffered imprisonment and exile: he is the author of many works in which he defends Orthodoxy. He died in exile in Bithynia in the Akrita Monastery which he had founded.
His feast days are 11 November (Catholic Church) and 27 December (Orthodox Church),
Theodore was born in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to a family with strong connections to the Orthodox Church. Ordained in 787, in 794 he became abbot of the Symboleon monastery in Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
, and later escaped from Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
raids to Constantinople where he became an abbot again. He clashed with successive emperors (Constantine VI, Nicephorus I, Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 813 to 820. A senior general, he forced his predecessor, Michael I Rangabe, to abdicate and assumed the throne. He ended the decade-long war with the Bulgars, and initiated the second period of Byzantine Iconoclasm...
, and Michael II the Stammerer
Michael II
Michael II , surnamed the Amorian or the Stammerer , reigned as Byzantine emperor from December 820 to his death on 2 October 829, and the first ruler of the Phrygian or Amorian dynasty....
) on the issue of iconoclasm (then for the second time in ascendancy in the Empire but strongly opposed by St Theodore). For this he suffered imprisonment and exile: he is the author of many works in which he defends Orthodoxy. He died in exile in Bithynia in the Akrita Monastery which he had founded.
His feast days are 11 November (Catholic Church) and 27 December (Orthodox Church),
Sources
- Catholic Online http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=736
- Житие и страдание святого преподобномученика и исповедника Феодора и брата его преподобного Феофана начертанных http://www.pravoslavie.uz/Jitiya/12/27FeodorNachertanniy.htm