Theodore Stratelates
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Theodore Stratelates ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος ὁ Στρατηλάτης (); cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ), also known as Theodore of Heraclea ( grc-gre, Θεόδωρος Ἡρακλείας; AD 281–319), was a
martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
and
Warrior Saint The Military Saints, Warrior Saints and Soldier Saints are patron saints, martyrs and other saints associated with the military. They were originally composed of the Early Christians who were soldiers in the Roman army during the persecution of ...
in the
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
,
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and Oriental Orthodox Churches. There is much confusion as to whether he and St.
Theodore of Amasea : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
were the same person, as the stories about their lives later diverged into two separate traditions.


Life

Theodore came from the city of
Euchaita Euchaita () was a Byzantine city and diocese in Helenopontus, the Armeniac Theme (northern Asia Minor), and an important stop on the Ancyra- Amasea Roman road. In Ottoman times, Euchaita was mostly depopulated, but there was a remnant village known ...
in Asia Minor. He killed a giant serpent living on a precipice in the outskirts of Euchaita. The serpent had terrorised the countryside. Theodore armed himself with a sword and vanquished it."Greatmartyr Theodore Stratelates 'the General'", Orthodox church in America
/ref> According to some of the legends, because of his bravery, Theodore was appointed military-commander (''
stratelates ''Stratēlatēs'' ( el, στρατηλάτης, "driver/leader of the army") was a Greek term designating a general, which also became an honorary dignity in the Byzantine Empire. In the former sense, it was often applied to military saints, such ...
'') in the city of
Heraclea Pontica __NOTOC__ Heraclea Pontica (; gr, Ἡράκλεια Ποντική, Hērakleia Pontikē), known in Byzantine and later times as Pontoheraclea ( gr, Ποντοηράκλεια, Pontohērakleia), was an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in Asi ...
, during the time the emperor
Licinius Valerius Licinianus Licinius (c. 265 – 325) was Roman emperor from 308 to 324. For most of his reign he was the colleague and rival of Constantine I, with whom he co-authored the Edict of Milan, AD 313, that granted official toleration to C ...
(307–324) began a fierce
persecution of Christians The persecution of Christians can be historically traced from the first century of the Christian era to the present day. Christian missionaries and converts to Christianity have both been targeted for persecution, sometimes to the point of ...
. Theodore invited Licinius to Heraclea, having promised to offer a sacrifice to the pagan gods. He requested that all the gold and silver statues of the gods which they had in Heraclea be gathered up at his house. Theodore then smashed them into pieces which he then distributed to the poor. Theodore was arrested and subjected to torture and crucified. His servant Varos (also venerated as a saint), witnessed this and recorded it. In the morning the imperial soldiers found him alive and unharmed. Not wanting to flee a martyr's death, Theodore voluntarily surrendered to Licinius, and was beheaded by the sword. This occurred on 8 February 319, on a Saturday, at the third hour of the day. His "life" is listed in ''Bibliotecha Hagiographica Graeca'' 1750-1754


The two Theodores

Numerous conflicting legends grew up about the life and martyrdom of
Theodore of Amasea : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
so that, in order to bring some consistency into the stories, it seems to have been assumed that there were two different venerated individuals, St Theodore Tiron of Amasea and Theodore Stratelates of Heraclea. The earliest text referring to the two saints is the Laudatio of Niketas David of Paphlagonia in the 9th century. It was said that his Christianity led to many conversions in the Roman army, which was the reason that Licinius was so concerned.Walter p. 59 Christopher Walter treats at length of the relationship between these saints. It is suggested that Theodore Tiron as a recruit and ordinary foot soldier was viewed by the people of Byzantium as a patron of common soldiers and that the military aristocracy sought a patron of their own rank. Another possibility is that he was in fact originally derived from a third Theodore called Theodore Orientalis from Anatolia. In art both
Theodore of Amasea : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
and Theodore Stratelates are shown with thick black hair and pointed beards. In older works they were often distinguished by the beard having one point for Theodore Tiron of Amasea and two points for Stratelates as in the fresco from the
Zemen Monastery The Zemen Monastery ( bg, Земенски манастир, ''Zemenski manastir'') is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery located one kilometre away from the town of Zemen, Pernik Province in western Bulgaria. The monastery was established in the 11t ...
below. There is much confusion between them and each of them is sometimes said to have had a shrine at Euchaita in Pontus. In fact the shrine existed before any distinction was made between the saints. The separate shrine of Stratelates was at Euchaneia (the modern Çorum in Turkey), a different place about 35 km west of Euchaita (the modern Avkhat). However, it is now generally accepted, at least in the west, that there was in fact only one Theodore. Delehaye wrote in 1909 that the existence of the second Theodore had not been historically established, while Walter in 2003 wrote that "the Stratelates is surely a fiction". Before Saint Mark's relics were (according to tradition) brought to Venice in 828, Theodore was the patron saint of the city. The
Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 ...
's original chapel was dedicated to that saint, though, after the translation of
Saint Mark Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...
's relics, it was superseded as his chapel by St Mark's Basilica. This may be either Theodore of Amasea or Theodore Stratelates, but the Venetians do not seem to have distinguished between them.


Byzantine perspective

Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen ( grc-gre, Γρηγόριος Νύσσης; c. 335 – c. 395), was Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 395. He is venerated as a saint in Catholicis ...
, brother of Basil the Great (also known as Basil of Caesarea), who is venerated as a saint in
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
,
Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
, Oriental Orthodoxy,
Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
and Anglicanism, held a different opinion. This is because, although the two Theodores were born in close territories and martyred in parallel, their names were involved in the confusion between two pilgrimage sites. Theodore Stratelates was from Euchaneia while
Theodore Tiron : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
(Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος ὁ Τήρων) was from
Euchaita Euchaita () was a Byzantine city and diocese in Helenopontus, the Armeniac Theme (northern Asia Minor), and an important stop on the Ancyra- Amasea Roman road. In Ottoman times, Euchaita was mostly depopulated, but there was a remnant village known ...
(territories close to each other). Usually mostly western researchers by mistake interpret the lack of reference to two Theodores in the valley of Irida (or Iris) in
Yeşilırmak River Yeşilırmak (literally "green river") is a Turkish place name that may refer to several things: *Yeşilırmak (river), a river in northern Turkey *Elif Jale Yeşilırmak (born 1986), Turkish female wrestler of Russian origin *Limnitis Limnitis ...
(up to the 9th century, which was the date that their names were established) as proof that they both were one and the same person. Unfortunately this is not the case since, in fact, each of the saints had his own pilgrimage site. What causes western researchers to get confused is at that time (9th century) the pilgrimage site of Euchaita had declined but that of Euchaneia was starting to flourish. Also, Avgaros or Uarus ( grc-gre, Αὔγαρος or ) the personal secretary of Theodore Stratelates wrote his biography, which clearly differs from the one Gregory of Nyssa wrote for Theodore Tiron.


Coptic perspective

Theodore is known in Egypt as Saint Theodore of Shotep, Saint Tadros of Shotep or Prince Theodore ( cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ; ar, الأمير الشهيد تادرس الشطبي , lit ='Martyr Prince Tadros El Shatby'). He was born to a soldier in the Roman army named John, an Egyptian from the city of Shateb in
Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south. In ancient E ...
. His mother Oussawaia was the daughter of a prince. John married her when he went to
Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
to fight against the Persians. When his wife learned that he was a Christian, she attempted to make him deny his faith and become a pagan. When John refused, she drove him out of the house. Later, an
angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
appeared to John and assured him in regards to Theodore, saying that he would be the reason for the faith of many people in
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. John rejoiced at what he heard and decided to return to his home in
Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south. In ancient E ...
. The days passed and Theodore grew. He was awarded the title of prince, because his grandfather was a prince and his mother as well, and because of his father's high position in the army. Theodore's mother sent him to the army to become a soldier, and over the years he became famous for his courage and skill. Through his friends he learnt that his father was a Christian, and so he returned to his mother and told her what he had heard, and was angry because she had lied to him and said that his father had died in the war. At this point, Theodore decided to become a Christian. He went to the priest called Olgianus and asked to rely on the name of Christ. A priest taught him the foundations of Christian faith. Over time he became a brilliant military commander and when Diocletian heard about him, he appointed him a commander over five hundred knights, and called him Prince Theodore the Esphehlar (i.e. brave commander). Life continued and one day, the saint wanted to meet his father. He took a search to know his father's home and decided to go and met him. He travelled to
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
and from there to Shotep. He went to the church of the city and prayed, and then asked for a person named John, and the people told him where he was and that he was suffering from a severe illness. Theodore went to John's house and met him. His father was very glad to meet him and thanked God for achieving his request, and they talked together. Five days later, John died. Theodore and the people buried him, and the people offered consolation to Theodore. He told them that when he died, they must bury him next to his father John. A war was raging between the Persians and the Romans, and the emperor called Theodore to go to Antioch for war. The prince left the village, travelled to Antioch and met
Theodore of Amasea : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
. Here the story is similar to the above-mentioned. Many churches have been built in his name since the time of Emperor
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
, and he currently has many churches named after him throughout Egypt, and for the great fame of the saint in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, including an archaeological monastery in his name in Madinet Al Hawamdeyah, Giza. It is said that the body of the saint rests there. After he was attended by his mother when he became a Christian in the reign of Emperor Constantine, an area in
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
was named by that name the region became known as Alexandria "
Shatby Shatby Beach Shatby ( ar, الشاطبي ') is a neighborhood in Alexandria, Egypt. Institutions Many important institutes are located in Shatby, such as: *Alexandria University *Bibliotheca Alexandrina *Collège Saint Marc * El Nasr Boys' Schoo ...
" attributed to him.


Commemoration

His annual feast day is commemorated on 8 February (21 February N.S.) or 7 February in the
Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
, though this is no longer liturgically celebrated in the Roman Catholic church. One of the few ceramic
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
s in existence, dated to c. 900, shows Saint Theodore. It was made by the
Preslav Literary School The Preslav Literary School ( bg, Преславска книжовна школа), also known as the Pliska Literary School or Pliska-Preslav Literary school was the first literary school in the medieval Bulgarian Empire. It was established by ...
and was found 1909 near
Preslav The modern Veliki Preslav or Great Preslav ( bg, Велики Преслав, ), former Preslav ( bg, link=no, Преслав; until 1993), is a city and the seat of government of the Veliki Preslav Municipality (Great Preslav Municipality, new ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
(now National Archaeological Museum,
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
).


Gallery

image:Triptych Harbaville Louvre OA3247 n4.jpg, Theodore Tiron & Theodore Stratelates (right) from the
Harbaville Triptych The Harbaville Triptych is a Byzantine ivory triptych of the middle of the 10th century with a Deesis and other saints, now in the Louvre. Traces of colouring can still be seen on some figures. It is regarded as the finest, and best-preserved, ...
(Ivory; in the Louvre) from a workshop in Constantinople - mid-10th century image:Zemen-monastery-st-theodore-stratelates.jpg, Fresco
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
of Saint Theodore Stratelates,
Zemen Monastery The Zemen Monastery ( bg, Земенски манастир, ''Zemenski manastir'') is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery located one kilometre away from the town of Zemen, Pernik Province in western Bulgaria. The monastery was established in the 11t ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
11th century? image:Saints_Theodore_Tyron_and_Theodore_Stratilates.jpg,
Theodore of Amasea : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
(on the left) and Theodore Stratelates (on the right) - a fresco from
Kremikovtsi Monastery The Kremikovtsi Monastery of Saint George ( bg, Кремиковски манастир „Свети Георги“, ''Kremikovski manastir „Sveti Georgi“'') is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery near Kremikovtsi to the northeast of the Bulgari ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
(16th century?) image:Simon Ushakov 003.jpg, Icon of Saint Theodore by
Simon Ushakov Simon (Pimen) Fyodorovich Ushakov (Russian: Симон (Пимен) Федорович Ушаков) (1626 – 25 June 1686) was a leading Russian icon painter of the late 17th-century. Together with Fyodor Zubov and Fyodor Rozhnov, he is ...
, 1676 image:StratilatesandTyron.jpg,
Theodore of Amasea : ''For another Saint Theodore, see: Theodore Stratelates or Saint Theodore (disambiguation)''. Saint Theodore Tiron ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Τήρων) is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as ...
(on the left) and Theodore Stratelates (on the right) - a fresco from
Rila Monastery The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery "Sveti Ivan Rilski" ( bg, Рилски манастир „Свети Иван Рилски“), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situate ...
, Bulgaria (19th century?) image:St. Theodor.jpg,
Ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
icon of Saint Theodore, Preslav, circa 900 AD, National Archaeological Museum,
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
but is this Stratelates or Tiron?


See also

* Simeon I of Bulgaria *
Theodore the Martyr Theodore the Martyr refers to the two saints Theodore of Amasea (Theodore the Recruit) and Theodore Stratelates (Theodore the General), two important military saints of the Byzantine period. The two saints are likely identical in origin, the ve ...


References


Sources

* Book of Saints, The "A dictionary of servants of God canonised by the Catholic church" compiled by the Benedictine monks of St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate (6th edition, revised & rest, 1989) * Butler's Lives of the Saints (originally compiled by the Revd Alban Butler 1756-1759) * Delaney, John J: Dictionary of Saints (1982) * Delehaye, Hippolyte: Les Legendes Grecques des Saints Militaires (Paris.1909) * Demus, Otto: The Church of San Marco in Venice (Washington 1960) * Demus, Otto: The Mosaics of San Marco in Venice (4 volumes) 1 The Eleventh & Twelfth Centuries - Text (1984) * Farmer, David: The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (4th edition, 1997) * Grotowski, Piotr: Arms and Armour of the Warrior Saints: Tradition and Innovation in Byzantine Iconography (843–1261) (Leiden 2010) * * The Oxford Companion to the Year (by Bonnie Blackburn & Leofranc Holford-Stevens) (Oxford 1999) * Oikonomidès, N. ''Le dédoublement de saint Théodore et les villes d΄ `Euhaïta et d΄ `Euchaneia'', Analecta Bollandiana 104 (1986) p. 327–335. * Walter, Christopher: The Warrior Saints in Byzantine Art and Tradition (2003) * Συναξάριον, Σάββατον Α' Εβδομάδος, ΤΡΙΩΔΙΟΝ ΚΑΤΑΝΥΚΤΙΚΟΝ της Αγίας και Μεγάλης ΤΕΣΣΑΡΑΚΟΣΤΗΣ, εκδόσεις ΦΩΣ, ΑΘΗΝΑ


External links


Lives of all saints commemorated on February 8
at Orthodox Church in America {{DEFAULTSORT:Theodore Stratelates 319 deaths 4th-century Christian martyrs 4th-century Romans 281 births Military saints Saints from Roman Egypt de:Theodor Tiro