Theotim of Scythia

Theotim of Scythia ( ancient Greek Θεότιμος ; Latin Theotimus ; 4th century - c. 412 ) - Bishop of the city of Toma in Lesser Scythia ^[1] , writer, theologian. Numbered among the saints , revered in the Orthodox Church as a saint , his memory is April 20 ( May 3 ) and April 20; and the Catholic Church , his memory on April 20.

The year of birth of Theotimus is unknown. It is known that he was a Scythian (inform Sozomen about this). In ESB, Theotimus is called a Slav .

Theotim entered the local monastery "on the border of Cassian and the Caves", in the same in which before him were the Monks John Cassian and German. Sozomen reports that Theotimus always wore long hair - since he began to diligently study any wisdom; Theotim kept a simple lifestyle, tasting food not at the same time, but when he felt hunger or thirst. The year of the ordination of Theotimus to the bishops is unknown. But it is known that in 392 Jerome Stridon wrote about Feotim in his book “On Famous Men” already as a church writer and a bishop. It is known about Theotimos as a missionary preacher who constantly traveled to the neighboring Huns , preaching Christianity. Among the Huns, Theotimus was respected, the Huns were surprised at the virtues of Theotimus and called the "Roman God." The Huns led a barbaric lifestyle and quite often attacked Scythian settlements, Feotim was a peacemaker, constantly inviting the Huns to his house, giving them presents and tried his best to teach the Huns non-malice and stop enmity between peoples.

In 400, Feotim, together with John Chrysostom, included 70 bishops in the Cathedral, in the city of Ephesus . The cathedral was assembled due to the fact that a complaint was brought to Constantinople against Metropolitan Antonin of Ephesus. The cathedral established mass cases of simony and many bishops guilty of simony, and deprived of posts both those who supplied for money and those who were supplied.

In 403, at the invitation of Theophilus of Alexandria , Epiphanius of Cyprus came to Constantinople to participate in the Cathedral at Oak . Epiphanius, being in the capital, invited all bishops to sign a prohibition against Origen books. Theotimus argues with Epiphanius, not agreeing to insult Origen. Theotim believed that Origen died in piety, that the previous Church fathers did not forbid reading the books of Origen, that there was no bad teaching in the books of Origen. On the contrary, they set forth the teachings of the Church; therefore, the cursing books of Origen act unreasonably.

Jerome reports that Theotimus wrote aphoristic treatises in the form of dialogues in the old style. The writings of Theotimus were not completely preserved, only small fragments from his works remained. Leonty, who lived shortly after Theotimus, wrote out short passages from his two works, On the Teaching of the Savior and Against Idols. John Damascene placed in the “Sacred Parallels” ( Greek “Ιερά Παράλληλα” ) several passages from the last composition and from three others: “On Genesis”, “On the interpretation of the words:“ Bring your gift to the altar yet ”” and “About Lent” .

Theotimus probably died no later than 412 years.

The life of Theotimus was placed in the Acta Sanctorum on April 20. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the name of Theotimos is absent from the calendar . The name of Theotimos is placed on the calendars of the Romanian Orthodox Church on April 20 in the first place. In this local church, troparia , kondak and akathist are written in his honor.