ON ST. STEPHEN OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ACCUBITOR OF THE EMPEROR MAURICE,
After the year 614.
Historical Summary.
Stephen of Constantinople, Accubitor of the Emperor Maurice (St.)
Author G. H.
[1] When Basiliscus, having expelled the Emperor Zeno, had seized the Eastern Empire, he held the Consulship himself together with Harmatius, or Armatius, or Armatus, his nephew, whom Theophanes calls "his own cousin." He furthermore appointed him Duke of Thrace and Master of the Soldiers, and sent him with the entire army and the populace of Constantinople against Zeno. But Zeno, having corrupted him with gifts, drew him to his side, promising the perpetual military prefecture, and the dignity of Caesar for his son. But having recovered the Empire, after he had appointed Harmatius Master of the Soldiers and created his son Basiliscus Caesar -- as if the conditions previously sanctioned by oath had been fulfilled -- he ordered the same Harmatius to be executed, and his son to be ordained Lector, who afterward became Bishop of the city of Cyzicus. That certain places were named after this Harmatius is attested by George Codinus in his book On the Origins of Constantinople, page 47, in these words: "The places of Harmatius are so called because there was a house of Harmatius the Master, who was a domestic servant of Zeno, who also betrayed to him the army of Basiliscus, who had risen against Zeno. For which reason he too was killed at Zeno's command."
[2] In these places of Harmatius, St. Stephen had his possessions, whom the Greeks in the great Menaea and the Lives of Saints published by Maximus Cytheraeus celebrate on the 27th of February in these words: "On the same day, the holy Stephen, who established the home for the aged in the places of Armatius, fell asleep in peace." The same is explained in the attached couplet:
"Stephen provides for the aged the sustenance of life. The heavenly provider crowns Stephen after death."
[3] The time at which and the condition of life in which St. Stephen flourished is indicated by the aforementioned Codinus on the same page 47 in these words: "The cistern called Arietaria, and the home for the aged, and the bath, which is in the places of Harmatius, were built by Stephen, Accubitor of the Emperor Maurice, twelve years after his reign" -- therefore in the year of Christ 614. For in the year 602, Indiction 6, on the 27th of November, a Tuesday, Maurice was slain. In a manuscript of the King of France he is called "the one sleeping beside Maurice," the remaining words being omitted, which are consistently found in five other manuscripts. He was therefore either the Accubitor of the table of Maurice himself, or at any rate under Maurice he held the office of Accubitor. Thus in Theophanes, in the fourth year of the reign of Leo the Isaurian, his son Constantine Copronymus, born the preceding year, "in the tribunal of the 19 Accubitores" received the crown, the Blessed Patriarch Germanus performing the customary prayers. And in the 13th year of Leo the Isaurian's reign, Leo held a council of silence against the holy and venerable images in the tribunal of the 19 Accubitores.