Theodore Skoutariotes ( el, Θεόδωρος Σκουταριώτης; born ) was a
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
cleric and official during the reign of
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
().
Skoutariotes was born about 1230. As a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
, he served as ''
epi ton deeseon
The ''epi tōn deēseōn'' ( el, , "the one in charge of petitions") was a Byzantine office, whose holder was responsible for receiving and answering petitions to the Byzantine emperor. Subordinate officials with the same title also existed in the ...
'' (receiver of petitions) and was named as ''
dikaiophylax The ''dikaiophylax'' ( el, δικαιοφύλαξ, "guardian of the laws") was a Byzantine judicial office of the 11th–15th centuries.
The title is first attested in the middle of the 11th century, both in Constantinople and the provinces. Its ho ...
'' in 1270. He served as Michael VIII's ambassador to the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
in 1277, and was metropolitan bishop of
Kyzikos
Cyzicus (; grc, Κύζικος ''Kúzikos''; ota, آیدینجق, ''Aydıncıḳ'') was an ancient Greek town in Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peni ...
from 1277 until he was deposed in 1282.
The German historian A. Heisenberg identified Skoutariotes with the anonymous author of a
chronicle
A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...
preserved in the
Marcian Library
The Marciana Library or Library of Saint Mark ( it, italic=no, Biblioteca Marciana, but in historical documents commonly referred to as ) is a public library in Venice, Italy. It is one of the earliest surviving public libraries and repositorie ...
in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
(''Marc. gr.'' 407), which begins with the
Creation
Creation may refer to:
Religion
*''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing
* Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it
* Creationism, the belief tha ...
and reaches to 1261. The chronicle is particularly valuable for its additions to the narrative of
George Akropolites George Akropolites ( Latinized as Acropolites or Acropolita; el, , ''Georgios Akropolites''; 1217 or 1220 – 1282) was a Byzantine Greek historian and statesman born at Constantinople.
Life
In his sixteenth year he was sent by his father, the ...
, which are of great importance for the history of 13th-century Byzantium.
Sources
*
13th-century births
13th-century Byzantine bishops
Byzantine officials
13th-century Byzantine historians
Ambassadors of the Byzantine Empire to the Holy See
Bishops of Cyzicus
Date of death unknown
13th-century diplomats
13th-century Byzantine writers
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