Christopher (2)

Christopher is likewise the name of several early Christians:

1. One of three soldiers of Diocletian's guard, who, being converted, A.D. 269, by the constancy of St. George, suffered charring, scarification, imprisonment, and death, April 19 (Basil, Alenol. 3:63).

2. A deacon, who, with Clement, bishop of Ancyra, and Charito, the second deacon, had his throat cut (A.D. 296) in prison, January 23 (Basil, Menol. 2).

3. A monk at Jerusalem, who testified to the superiority of the common life over the solitary condition of a hermitage (Migne, Patrol. 74:170).

4. Bishop of Arcadiopolis in Asia, at the second council of Constantinople, A.D. 553 (Labbe, Concil. 5:582).

5. A Sabaite, martyr in Palestine under the Saracens (April 14), in the 8th century (Migne, Dict. Hagiog. s.v.).

6. Dean ("primicier") and counsellor of the see of Rome, who, with his son Sergius, treasurer of the Roman Church, obtained armed assistance from Desiderius, king of Lombardy, to, dislodge the antipope Constantine. Christopher opposed the intrusion of Philip, and procured the election of Stephen III. He attempted to induce Desiderius to restore the Church property which he had plundered; the king was exasperated, and so used his influence at Rome that the eyes of Christopher and Sergius were torn out, which in three days caused the death of the former, cir. A.D. 775 (Ceillier, Hist. des Auteur's 12:1117).

7. Patriarch of Alexandria (A.D. 804-837), who wrote a "synodical" letter to, the emperor Theophilus, the iconoclast, in favor of the worship of images, citing the story of king Abgarus. It was signed by fourteen hundred and fifty-five bishops and priests. He wrote De Vita Humana (Paris, 1608), under the name of Theophilus Alexandr. (Cave, Hist. Lit. 2:23). 8. "Patricius, patria Mityleleus," a menologist, author of an iambic Historia Sanctorum, beginning with September and ending with August. He is included by Cave, Hist. Lit. (Dissert. 1), among writers of uncertain date.