Theophilus of Adana

Common card · No. 446230

Saint Theophilus the Penitent, also known as Theophilus of Cilicia or Theophilus of Adana (Greek: Θεόφιλος Άδανας, died c. 538) was a cleric in the sixth century Church who is said to have made a deal with the Devil to gain an ecclesiastical position. His story is significant as it is one of the oldest popular stories of a pact with the Devil and was an inspiration for the Faust legend. Eutychianus of Adana, who claimed to be an eyewitness of the events, is the first to record Theophilus's story. Although Theophilus is considered to be a historical personage, the tale associated with him is of an apocryphal nature. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, with a feast day on 23 June and 4 February respectively.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Unknown miniaturist from Liège-Maastricht area, ca. 1300-1325, Public domain