E05351: The Life of *Theodoros (ascetic and abbot of Sykeon, ob. 613, S01619), by Eleusios-Georgios of Sykeon, mentions the production of images of *Theodoros of Sykeon (abbot of Sykeon and bishop of Anastasiopolis, ob. 613, S01619), while he was alive. Written in Greek at Sykeon (central Asia Minor), in the 640s.

Georgios of Sykeon, Life of Theodoros, abbot of Sykeon and bishop of Anastasiopolis (CPG 7973 = BHG 1748)

The priest Solomon from Iouliopolis and his wife, suffering under the influence of a demon, seek the help of Theodoros.

103. 4-7. Καὶ λαμβάνοντες τὴν εὐχὴν αὐτοῦ καθ’ ἡμέραν ἐν βραχεῖ καιρῷ ἠλευθερώθησαν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων πνευμάτων, ὡς ἐκ τούτου ζωγραφίαν αὐτοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐν τῷ προσευκτηρίῳ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Ἀρχαγγέλου, ὅπου ἐκάθευδεν.

‘(…) Thus receiving his blessing every day, they were delivered from the impure spirits within a brief period of time. On account of that, he made a drawing of him at the prayer room of the church of the Archangel, where he had been sleeping.’

During his second visit to Constantinople (609-610), Theodoros stays at the monastery of the Romans at the Petrion, where he performs his customary winter reclusion and performs a number of miracles.

139. Ὅθεν καὶ οἱ τῆς μονῆς πάντες ἅμα τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ αὐτῶν ἡγουμένῳ Χριστοφόρῳ, πολλῇ τῇ πίστει πρὸς αὐτὸν διακείμενοι, ἐπόθησαν τὸ ὁμοίωμα τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν καὶ στῆσαι αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ μονῇ αὐτῶν, μνήμης αὐτοῦ διηνεκοῦς χάριν ἐπὶ οἰκείᾳ αὐτῶν εὐλογία. Καὶ καλέσαντες ζωγράφον, ἐποίησαν αὐτὸν διὰ ὀπῆς μικρᾶς θεωρεῖν τὸν ὅσιον, ἵνα σημειούμενος τὸ εἶδος τοῦ προσώπου δυνηθῇ καθ’ ὁμοίωσιν γράψαι αὐτόν· ὃ καὶ ἀπετελέσθη κατὰ τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν, καλὸν αὐτοῦ ὁμοίωμα γράψαντος αὐτοῦ. Προτοῦ οὖν ἀπολῦσαι αὐτόν, ἐποίησαν αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν καὶ εὐλογηθῆναι τὸ ὁμοίωμα αὐτοῦ παρ’ αὐτοῦ. Αὐτὸς δὲ σεμνὸν αὐτῷ προσμειδιάσας ἔλεγεν· «σὺ παγκλέπτης εἶ· καὶ τί ποιεῖς ὧδε, εἰ μὴ ἵνα τίποτε κλέψῃς;» Καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτὸ ἀπέλυσε.

‘For these reasons, all the monks of the monastery together with their abbot Christophoros, most dear to God, on account of their great devotion to him, desired to acquire a portrait of his face and set it up at their monastery for the sake of remembering him perpetually and for their own blessing. They invited a painter and arranged for him to have a view of the holy man through a small hole, in order that he might paint him accurately, by recording the appearance of his face. And they achieved their purpose, according to their faith, for he produced a beautiful portrait of him. Now, before letting him go, they arranged for him to be received by Theodoros, and for the portrait to be blessed by him. He [Theodoros] smiled at him modestly and said: “You are a very cunning thief! So what are you up to here? Perhaps trying to steal something?” And he blessed it and released him.’

Text: Festugière 1970.
Translation: Efthymios Rizos.