Metropolis of Iconium

The Metropolis of Iconium (Greek: Μητρόπολις Ἰκονίου) is a metropolitan bishopric of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople located at Iconium in Asia Minor, in the region of Lycaonia. It flourished through the Roman and Byzantine empires, and survived into the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century and the Greco-Turkish population exchange, which led to the disappearance of the local Christian population.

For the Roman Catholic titular see, see Iconium (Roman Catholic titular see).

The see continues to be occupied today as a titular see of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The current incumbent is Theoleptos Fenerlis, who was raised to the see in 2000.[1]

History

Christianity came to Iconium very early. The apostles Paul came to Iconium escaping a disturbance and attempted stoning.[2][3] It is presumed that Paul appointed bishops or presbyters during his visit.

From ca. 370, the see of Iconium became the metropolis of Lycaonia.[4] The city fell to the Seljuk Turks in 1084, and became the capital of the Sultanate of Rum, except for a brief recapture by the First Crusade in 1097.[4]

The fate of the see in the early Ottoman period is obscure: Metropolitan Amphilochius is mentioned as occupying the see until 1488, but it is unclear whether any bishop actually resided in the city, as this is not attested in the patriarchal ordinances (berat) of 1483 and 1525. The historian Elisabeth Zachariadou suggested that the seat of the metropolitan was moved at the time to Egridir, but this can not be verified.[5] The see was definitely revived in the 17th century, as the patriarchal berat of 1625 once again refers to the city as the seat of a residential metropolitan. Iconium remained the seat of the metropolis until the 19th century, when it moved to Niğde, where the Greek Orthodox element was stronger.[5] During the Ottoman period, the Metropolitan of Iconium also received the former metropolis of Tyana, whence his full title was "Metropolitan of Iconium and Tyana, hypertimos and exarch of all Lycaonia and Second Cappadocia".[5]

Known residential bishops
Coronatus, bishop of Iconium, from the Menologion of Basil II
Saint Amphilochius bishop of Iconium.

The French historian Michel Le Quien names the following bishops:[6]

  • Sosipater
  • Terentus
  • Caronatus (martyr) fl. 250
  • Celsus
  • Nicomas
  • Peter
  • Eulalius
  • Fastinus fl. 372
  • Amphilocius fl. 375
  • Valerianus
  • Onesiphorus, Bishop of Iconium.[7]
  • Amphilocius of Iconium, fl. 381[8]
  • Palladius
  • Theodulus fl. 535
  • Paul
  • Elias
  • Leo
  • Theopylactus
  • Theophilus
  • Basil fl. 997
  • John II fl. 1027
  • unnamed bishop, attended a synod in Constantinople in 1077
  • Eustathius fl. 1082
  • Nicetas
  • unnamed bishop, attended synod in Constantinople in 1152
  • John III fl. 1160
  • unnamed bishop fl. 1257
  • Theodorus II
  • Matthaeus (Catholic)
  • Aphilochius (?–1488)
  • Parthenius fl. 1638
  • Clemens
  • Sylvester fl. 1721
  • Prokopios Lazaridis (1911-1923)

References
  1. "Σεβ. Μητροπολίτης Ἰκονίου, ὑπέρτιμος καί ἔξαρχος πάσης Λυκαονίας, κ. Θεόληπτος" (in Greek). Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  2. Bastian Van Elderen, Some Archaeological Observations on Paul’s First Missionary Journey, 157-159.
  3. Acts 14:6-21
  4. Foss 1991, p. 985.
  5. Charitopoulos 2005, Chapter 1.
  6. Le Quien, Michel (1740). "Ecclesia Iconii". Oriens Christianus, in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus: quo exhibentur ecclesiæ, patriarchæ, cæterique præsules totius Orientis. Tomus primus: tres magnas complectens diœceses Ponti, Asiæ & Thraciæ, Patriarchatui Constantinopolitano subjectas (in Latin). Paris: Ex Typographia Regia. cols. 1065–1074. OCLC 955922585.
  7. Richard Price, Michael Gaddis, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, Volume 1(Liverpool University press, 2005)p131.
  8. The Canons of the First Four General Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon: With Notes (Clarendon Press, 1892) p104

Sources
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