Theophylact

Theophylact archbishop of Achridia and metropolitan of all Bulgaria, an eminent ecclesiastical writer, was born and educated at Constantinople. He was bishop in 1077, and perhaps some years later. The date of his death is uncertain, but probably about 1112,'or later. After he was made bishop. he labored diligently to extend Christianity in his diocese, but met with much opposition, of which he complained in his epistles. The works of Theophylact are: Commentaria in Quatuor Evangelia (Paris, 1631, fol.): —Commentaries on the Acts of the Apostles, Greek and Latin (Colon. 1568): —Commentaries on St. Paul's Epistles, Greek and Latin (Lond. 1636,fol.): —Commentaries on Four of the ( Minor Prophets; namely, Habakkuk, Jonas, Nahum, and Hosea, in Latin (Paris, 1589, 8vo). The Commentaries on all the twelve minor prophets are extant in Greek in the library of Strasburg, and have been described by Michaelis in his Biblioth. Orientalis. These commentaries are founded on those of Chrysostom; but his exegesis is so direct, precise, and textual, and his remarks are often so felicitous and to the point, that his commentaries have always been highly prized: —Seventy-five Epistles, in Greek, with notes by John Meursius (Leyden, 1617, 4to), and also in the Bibliotheca Patrum: —besides several tracts, some of which are rather doubtful. A splendid edition of all his works in Greek and Latin was published by J. F. Bernard Maria de Rubeis (Venet. 1754-63, 4 vols. fol.). See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Smith, Dict. of Greek and Latin Biog. s.v.

Theophylactians, a name given to the orthodox Christians of Alexandria by the Jacobites in the 7th century. See Neale, Hist. of the Eastern Church, 2, 87.