Philotheus Coccinus

Philotheus Coccinus

Philotheus (2) Coccinus

also an Eastern ecclesiastic, flourished as patriarch of Constantinople. He was probably born in the beginning of the 14th century, and early took the monastic habit. After living for a considerable time as a monk in, and afterwards as superior of, the convent of St. Laura on Mount Sinai, he was appointed archbishop of Heracleia (before 1354). In 1355 he was employed by the emperor John Cantacuzenus in bringing about a reconciliation between Michael, the son, and John Palaeologus, the son-in- law of the emperor; and in the same year he was chosen patriarch of Constantinople, in the place of Callistus, who, however, recovered his see after John Palaeologus had taken possession of Constantinople. Callistus, however, died soon afterwards, and now Philotheus was once more placed in the patriarchal chair, which post he occupied with great dignity till his death, which occurred in 1371, according to Cave, or in 1376 according to the Chronologia reformata of J.B. Riccioli quoted by Fabricius. We append the titles of the most important of the numerous works of Philotheus, very few of which have been published: Liturgia et Ordo instituendi Diaconum, printed in Latin in the 26th vol. of Bibl. Pat. Max.: — Libri xv Antirrhetici, a defence of his friend the celebrated Palama, extant in different libraries: — Sermno Encomiasticus in tres Hierarchas, Basilium, Gregorium Theologum, et Joannen Chrysostomum, Latin, in the 26th vol. of Bibl. Pat. Max., Gr. and Lat. by Jac. Pontanus, together with Philippi Solitarii Dioptra (Ingolstadt, 1604, 8vo); by Fronto Ducaeus, in the 2d volume of Auctuar. Patr. (Paris, 1624): — Oratio de Cruce, Gr. and Lat. apud Gretser. De Cruce (Ingolstadt, 1616, fol. volume 2); there is another Oratio de Cruce, in the same volume, which is attributed by some to our Philotheus: — Oratio in te R Tiam Jejuniorum Dominicam, Gr. and Lat. (ibid.): — Refutatio Anathematismorum ab Harmenopulo scriptorum, Gr. and Lat. apud Leunclav. Jus. Gr. Rom. lib. 4: — Confutatio Capitum xiv Acindynii et Barlaami, extant in MS.: — Homilia: — Compendium de (Economia Christi, etc. Wharton, in Cave, and Fabricius give a catalogue of the numerous works of Philotheus. See Fabricius, Bibl. Graec. 11:513, etc.; Cave, Hist. Litt. ad an. 1362. See Smith, Dict. Gr. and Rom. Biog. s.v.; Neale, Hist. of the East. Church (Patriarchate of Constantinople).