Theodosius Romanus facts for kids

Theodosius Romanus (Syriac: ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܬܐܘܕܘܣܝܘܣ, Arabic: البطريرك ثاودوسيوس) was an important leader of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He was the head of the church, known as the Patriarch of Antioch, from 887 until he passed away in 896.

The Life of Theodosius Romanus

Theodosius Romanus was born in a city called Tikrit during the 800s. When he was older, he became a monk at the monastery of Qartmin. This monastery was located in a region called Tur Abdin.

He studied medicine and became a very skilled doctor. People called him "the Roman" (Romanus) because he knew a lot about the Greek language.

At this time, the position of patriarch had been empty for four years. The previous patriarch, Ignatius II, had died in 883. The church's bishops could not agree on who should be the next leader.

Because people wanted a new leader, the bishops met in a city called Amida. They decided to choose the new patriarch by drawing lots. Twelve names were put forward for this special election.

Theodosius Romanus was chosen to become the new patriarch. He was officially made patriarch in Amida on February 5, 887. At this time, he took the name Theodosius.

We do not know many details about his time as patriarch. We know he helped build some parts of the Qartmin monastery. He worked with Ezekiel, who was the bishop of Tur Abdin.

Theodosius served as patriarch until he died on June 1, 896. He passed away at the Qartmin monastery, where he was also buried. During his time as patriarch, Theodosius appointed many new bishops. Some records say he appointed 32 bishops, while others say 33.

What Did Theodosius Write?

Theodosius was also a writer and a translator. He translated and wrote comments on a book called the Book of Hierotheos. He did this because Lazarus, the bishop of Cyrrhus, asked him to.

His comments on the book were divided into five books, which were part of three larger sections. He finished the first two sections in Amida. The third section was completed in a city called Samosata.

Another church leader, Patriarch Quriaqos of Tagrit, had said this book was not correct. But Theodosius seemed to believe the book was real and important. His interest in this book shows that the Qartmin monastery had a strong tradition of mystical thinking.

Later, another important writer, Bar Hebraeus, used Theodosius's comments in his own work. Part of Theodosius's commentary was also copied in 1290 into a manuscript. A manuscript is a handwritten book.

Theodosius also wrote a medical syntagma, which is like a collection of medical writings. Only a small part of this book still exists today.

He also wrote a special letter, called a synodical epistle, to Pope Michael III of Alexandria. He also wrote a homily, which is a religious speech, for Lent. Both of these writings were in Arabic.

Additionally, Theodosius wrote a special paper for a deacon named George. In this paper, he collected and explained 112 wise sayings. Most of these sayings came from Pythagorean ideas. He translated them from Greek into Syriac. A copy of this paper, in both Syriac and Arabic, still exists. Some church rules, called canons, were also later said to be written by Theodosius.