Theodore II of Constantinople

Theodore II of Constantinople
Theodore II of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
	Seal of Theodore Eirenikos when he was hypatos ton philosophon, ca. 1208–1213
Church	Church of Constantinople
In office	28 September 1213 –; 31 January 1216
Predecessor	Michael IV of Constantinople
Successor	Maximus II of Constantinople
Personal details
Born	Theodore Eirenikos
Died	31 January 1216

Theodore II of Constantinople (Eirenikos Greek: Θεόδωρος Εἰρηνικός; died 31 January 1216), also known as Theodore Kopas or Koupas (Κωπᾶς/Κουπᾶς),^[1] was a high-ranking Byzantine official and chief minister during most of the reign of the Byzantine emperor Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203). After the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade, he fled to the Empire of Nicaea, where he became a monk and served as Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in exile in 1214–1216.

Political career

An intelligent, well-spoken and educated man, he rose to power following the disgrace and exile of Alexios III's hitherto favourite official, Constantine Mesopotamites, in autumn 1197. Theodore II succeeded Mesopotamites in his confidential and influential palace post of epi tou kanikleiou (secretary of the imperial inkpot) and as chief minister. He also held the senior court rank of sebastos.^[1]^[2] According to the account of the contemporary historian Niketas Choniates, Theodore II feared that he would share Mesopotamites' fate, and therefore exercised his power with great restraint. He was anxious not to displease the hereditary aristocracy that dominated the imperial court and that had undermined Mesopotamites' position. To that effect, he also neglected to undertake any of the reforms that the Empire desperately needed.^[3]

Exile and church career

In April 1204, Constantinople fell to the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade, and like many Byzantine leaders, Theodore II fled the city and sought refuge in Asia Minor. There Theodore II was tonsured as a monk.^[1] In 1209, the newly proclaimed Nicaean emperor, Theodore I Laskaris, named him to the post of chartophylax of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, re-established in Nicaean exile. Theodore I Laskaris also awarded him with the title hypatos ton philosophon,^[1] a prestigious title given to the head of the faculty of philosophy in Constantinople.^[4]

On 28 September 1214, Theodore II was elected as Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople by the patriarchal synod. His tenure was marked by his open confrontation with the Catholic Church, especially over the legitimacy of the Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople and of Catholic control over the Greek Orthodox populations ruled by Frankokratia.^[5]

Theodore II of Constantinople died on 31 January 1216.^[5]

Notes and references

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Vougiouklaki (2003), Chapter 1 Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Brand (1968), pp. 143, 146-147.
^ Brand (1968), p. 147.
^ Kazhdan (1991), p. 964.
^ ^a ^b Vougiouklaki (2003), Chapter 2 Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine.

Bibliography

Brand, Charles M. (1968). Byzantium Confronts the West, 1180–1204. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. LCCN 67-20872. OCLC 795121713.
Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
Vougiouklaki, Penelope (2003). "Theodore II Irenikos". Encyclopedia of the Hellenic World, Eastern Mediterranean. Foundation of the Hellenic World. Retrieved 21 June 2012.

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Michael IV	Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople In exile at Nicaea 1214 – 1216	Succeeded by Maximus II

[EHW1-1] Vougiouklaki (2003), Chapter 1 Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine.

[2] Brand (1968), pp. 143, 146-147.

[3] Brand (1968), p. 147.

[4] Kazhdan (1991), p. 964.

[EHW2-5] Vougiouklaki (2003), Chapter 2 Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Bishops of Byzantium and Patriarchs of Constantinople
Bishops of Byzantium (Roman period, 38–330 AD)	Andrew Stachys Onesimus Polycarpus I Plutarch Sedecion Diogenes Eleutherius Felix Polycarpus II Athenodorus Euzois Laurence Alypius Pertinax Olympianus Marcus I Philadelphus Cyriacus I Castinus Eugenius I Titus Dometius Rufinus Probus Metrophanes Alexander
Archbishops of Constantinople (Roman period, 330–451 AD)	Alexander Paul I Eusebius Macedonius I Eudoxius Evagrius Demophilus Maximus I Gregory I Nectarius John I Chrysostom Arsacius Atticus Sisinnius I Nestorius Maximianus Proclus Flavian Anatolius
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Byzantine period, 451–1453 AD)	Anatolius Gennadius I Acacius Fravitta Euphemius Macedonius II Timothy I John II Epiphanius Anthimus I Menas Eutychius John III John IV Cyriacus II Thomas I Sergius I Pyrrhus Paul II Peter Thomas II John V Constantine I Theodore I George I Paul III Callinicus I Cyrus John VI Germanus I Anastasius Constantine II Nicetas I Paul IV Tarasius Nicephorus I Theodotus I Antony I John VII Methodius I Ignatios Photios I Stephen I Antony II Nicholas I Εuthymius I Stephen II Tryphon Theophylact Polyeuctus Βasil I Αntony III Nicholas II Sisinnius II Sergius II Eustathius Alexius Michael I Constantine III John VIII Cosmas I Eustratius Nicholas III John IX Leo Michael II Cosmas II Nicholas IV Theodotus II Neophytus I Constantine IV Luke Michael III Chariton Theodosius I Basil II Nicetas II Leontius Dositheus George II John X Michael IV^† Theodore II^† Maximus II^† Μanuel I^† Germanus II^† Methodius II^† Manuel II^† Arsenius^† Nicephorus II^† Germanus III Joseph I John XI Gregory II Athanasius I John XII Nephon I John XIII Gerasimus I Isaias John XIV Isidore I Callistus I Philotheus Macarius Nilus Antony IV Callistus II Matthew I Euthymius II Joseph II Metrophanes II Gregory III Athanasius II
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Ottoman period, 1453–1923 AD)	Gennadius II Isidore II Joasaph I Sophronius I Mark II Symeon I Dionysius I Raphael I Maximus III Nephon II Maximus IV Joachim I Pachomius I Theoleptus I Jeremias I Joannicius I Dionysius II Joasaph II Metrophanes III Jeremias II Pachomius II Theoleptus II Matthew II Gabriel I Theophanes I Meletius I Neophytus II Raphael II Cyril I Timothy II Gregory IV Anthimus II Cyril II Athanasius III Neophytus III Parthenius I Parthenius II Joannicius II Cyril III Paisius I Parthenius III Gabriel II Parthenius IV Dionysius III Clement Methodius III Dionysius IV Gerasimus II Athanasius IV James Callinicus II Neophytus IV Gabriel III Neophytus V Cyprianus Athanasius V Cyril IV Cosmas III Jeremias III (Callinicus III) Paisius II Seraphim I Neophytus VI Cyril V Callinicus IV (III) Seraphim II Joannicius III Samuel Meletius II Theodosius II Sophronius II Gabriel IV Procopius Neophytus VII Gerasimus III Gregory V Callinicus V (IV) Jeremias IV Cyril VI Eugenius II Anthimus III Chrysanthus Agathangelus Constantius I Constantius II Gregory VI Anthimus IV Anthimus V Germanus IV Meletius III Anthimus VI Cyril VII Joachim II Sophronius III Joachim III Joachim IV Dionysius V Neophytus VIII Anthimus VII Constantine V Germanus V Meletius IV
Patriarchs of Constantinople (Turkish period, since 1923 AD)	Gregory VII Constantine VI Basil III Photius II Benjamin Maximus V Athenagoras Demetrius Bartholomew
^† in exile at Nicaea Christianity portal

Theodore II of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Seal of Theodore Eirenikos when he was hypatos ton philosophon, ca. 1208–1213
Church	Church of Constantinople
In office	28 September 1213 – 31 January 1216
Predecessor	Michael IV of Constantinople
Successor	Maximus II of Constantinople
Personal details
Born	Theodore Eirenikos
Died	31 January 1216