Theophilos the Indian
Encyclopedia
Theophilos the Indian also called "The Ethiopian", was an Arian
bishop who was alternately in and out of favor with the court of the Roman
emperor Constantius II
. Originally from the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean
, he came to the court of Constantine I
as a young man and was ordained a deacon
under the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia
. He was eventually exiled because Constantius believed him to be a supporter of Constantius's rebellious cousin Gallus
. Famed for his ability as a healer, Theophilus was later recalled to court to heal Constantius's wife, the empress Eusebia, which he is reputed to have done successfully. He was exiled again for his support of the disfavored theologian Aëtius
whose Anomoean doctrine was an offshoot of Arianism
.
Around 354 AD, Emperor Constantius II sent the Arian Theophilus on mission to south Asia via Arabia where he is said to have converted the Himyarites and built three churches in southwest Arabia. He is also said to have found Christians in India.
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
bishop who was alternately in and out of favor with the court of the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
emperor Constantius II
Constantius II
Constantius II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death....
. Originally from the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, he came to the court of Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
as a young man and was ordained a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
under the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia
Eusebius of Nicomedia
Eusebius of Nicomedia was the man who baptised Constantine. He was a bishop of Berytus in Phoenicia, then of Nicomedia where the imperial court resided in Bithynia, and finally of Constantinople from 338 up to his death....
. He was eventually exiled because Constantius believed him to be a supporter of Constantius's rebellious cousin Gallus
Constantius Gallus
Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus , commonly known as Constantius Gallus, was a member of the Constantinian dynasty and Caesar of the Roman Empire . Gallus was consul three years, from 352 to 354.- Family :...
. Famed for his ability as a healer, Theophilus was later recalled to court to heal Constantius's wife, the empress Eusebia, which he is reputed to have done successfully. He was exiled again for his support of the disfavored theologian Aëtius
Aëtius (theologian)
Aëtius of Antioch , surnamed "the Atheist" by his trinitarian enemies, founder of an Arian Christian movement, was a native of Coele-Syria.-Life and writings:...
whose Anomoean doctrine was an offshoot of Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
.
Around 354 AD, Emperor Constantius II sent the Arian Theophilus on mission to south Asia via Arabia where he is said to have converted the Himyarites and built three churches in southwest Arabia. He is also said to have found Christians in India.