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| Tarasios | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tarasios |
| Birth date | c. 730s |
| Death date | 25 February 806 |
| Nationality | Byzantine |
| Occupation | Clergyman, Patriarch of Constantinople |
| Title | Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople |
Tarasios was a Byzantine clergyman who served as Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 784 to 806. He played a central role in the resolution of the first phase of the Iconoclasm controversy by convening the Second Council of Nicaea and negotiating with emperors and church leaders across Constantinople, Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire. His tenure bridged the reigns of several emperors and involved interaction with leading figures of the Byzantine church, the Papacy, and the imperial court.
Tarasios was born in the mid-8th century in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Leo III the Isaurian and Constantine V, a period marked by political and religious turbulence. He was a layman and imperial secretary (primikerios) in the chancery of Constantine V and later of Irene of Athens, serving within the bureaucratic milieu of Constantinople. His family origins are obscure; contemporary sources place him among the educated elite who moved between the administration of the Byzantine Empire and ecclesiastical circles influenced by figures such as Nikephoros I of Constantinople and administrators in the tagmata.
Although initially a secular official, Tarasios was elevated rapidly through clerical orders after being chosen by Empress Irene of Athens to succeed Paul IV of Constantinople as Patriarch. His consecration required a controversial ordination sequence because he had been a married layman and was hastily advanced from lector to patriarchal office, involving bishops from sees such as Nicomedia, Nicaea, Ephesus, and Smyrna. His appointment was contested by iconoclast sympathizers aligned with figures like Constantine V's appointees but supported by proponents of orthodoxy including representatives from Rome and monastic leaders influenced by John of Damascus, Sabas the Sanctified, and the community at Mount Athos.
Tarasios presided during the decisive convocation of the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, which addressed the dispute initiated under Leo III the Isaurian and intensified under Constantine V. He worked with papal legates from Pope Adrian I and ecclesiastical delegates from Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to affirm the veneration of icons while condemning iconoclast practice promoted by some officials of Constantine V and later by factions at the imperial court. The council produced canons that referenced earlier synods such as the Council of Chalcedon and sought to reconcile controversies dating back to debates that involved Anastasius Bibliothecarius and chroniclers like Theophanes the Confessor.
Tarasios navigated complex relations with imperial figures including Irene of Athens, Nikephoros I, and the bureaucratic apparatus of Constantinople while mediating between the patriarchal see and the Byzantine administration. He cooperated with Empress Irene of Athens in efforts to restore orthodoxy, negotiated with western leaders such as Charlemagne over ecclesiastical disputes, and engaged with papal diplomacy involving Pope Hadrian I and Pope Leo III. His tenure saw tensions with iconoclast military and court supporters like members of the Anastasian or Iberian factions, and he often relied on alliances with metropolitan bishops from Asia Minor, the Balkans, and Thrace.
Tarasios is associated with theological letters and synodal correspondence defending the use of icons and articulating positions that drew upon the writings of earlier theologians such as John of Damascus, Maximus the Confessor, and Basil of Caesarea. His curial style emphasized conciliar authority and the patristic tradition upheld at councils like Nicaea II and Chalcedon. Though not as prolific as authors like Photios I of Constantinople or Nikephoros II Phokas in literary output, Tarasios' letters to metropolitans, monks at Mount Sinai, and clergy in Thessalonica and Ephesus contributed to the restoration of iconodule practice and influenced later defenders of icons such as Theodore the Studite and chroniclers like Theophanes the Confessor and Nicephorus.
Tarasios died on 25 February 806 during the reign of Nikephoros I and was succeeded by Nikephoros I of Constantinople as patriarch. Later historians and chroniclers—Theophanes the Confessor, Patriarch Photios I, and medieval hagiographers—assessed his role variably, crediting him with diplomatic skill and conciliar leadership while noting compromises with imperial power. Modern scholars place Tarasios within the broader context of Byzantine ecclesiastical politics involving interplay among Constantinople, Rome, Mount Athos, Alexandria, and the imperial court, recognizing his contribution to the temporary resolution of the iconoclastic controversy and the affirmation of conciliar orthodoxy.
Category:Byzantine saints Category:Patriarchs of Constantinople