16,951
edits
Changes
m
link
In 1260, Prince Theodore married Maria Vasil'evna, daughter of Prince Vasily of Yaroslavl and became prince of Yaroslavl. From their marriage, a son, Mikhail, was born, but soon Theodore's wife died. As Theodore was spending much of his time at military efforts and campaigns in alliances with the khans of the Golden Horde Mikhail was raised by his mother-in-law, princess Xenia.
As the khans recognized the spirit and military strength of the Orthodox Rus they began to draw the Russian princes into alliances, and the khans then turned to them for military assistance. The Church made use of these closer relations to bring Christian enlightenment to the foreigners. In 1261, through the efforts of St. [[Alexander Nevsky]] and [[Metropolitan]] Kirill III of Moscow an Orthodox [[diocese]] was established at Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde. In the year 1276, a council at Constantinople presided over by [[Patriarch]] [[John XI Bekkos of Constantinople|John Bekkos]] replied to questions of the [[bishop]] of Sarai, Theognost, about the order for [[baptism|baptizing]] Tatars, as well as the reception into Orthodoxy of the [[MonophysismMonophysitism|Monophysite]] and [[Nestorianism|Nestorian]] Christians among them. During these years, Prince Theodore served with the Horde. Having distinguished himself by military exploits on the Ossetian campaign, he gained favorable attention from khan Mengu-Temir, who regarded the Orthodox Church with respect, and who, as khan, issued the first "yarlyk" ("decree" or "grant") about church tax-exemption for Metropolitan Kirill.
After serving three years with the Horde, Prince Theodore returned to Yaroslavl, that was ruled by princess Xenia with her grandson Mikhail, to be rejected by the populace. Theodore then returned to the Horde about the year 1266, where he was welcomed, especially by the wife of the khan Mengu-Temir, who being fond of the prince wished for him to have the hand of her daughter. Such a marriage was tremendously significant for Rus' as the khans had long held that the Russian princes were consider to be vassals or subjects. The khan's decision to allow the marriage of his daughter to a Russian prince was to acknowledge Prince Theodore as an equal and to acknowledge the primacy of Orthodoxy since, before the [[marriage]] rite of crowning, the Tatar princess would be required to accept holy [[baptism]]. The khan agreed this because union with Russia was very important for him. Thus, khan Mengu-Temir ordered his daughter be given to prince Theodore after her baptism. So, after her baptism as Anna, Prince Theodore married the daughter of the khan. The khan also ordered that the Orthodox faith was not be desecrated. While he remained in Sarai, Theodore's wife Anna bore him two sons, David and Constantine.
On [[March 5]], 1463, the relics of Prince Theodore and his sons, David and Constantine, were uncovered at Yaroslavl. The chronicler, an eyewitness to the event, recorded, "At the city of Yaroslavl in the monastery of the Holy Savior they unearthed three Great Princes: Prince Theodore Rostislavich and his sons David and Constantine and brought them above the ground. The Great Prince Theodore was a man of great stature, and they placed his sons David and Constantine beside him. Their stature was less than his. They had lain in a single grave." The physical appearance of the holy prince so impressed those present at the uncovering of the relics that an account of this was entered into the Prologue (lives of saints) in St. Theodore's Life, and also into the text of the Manual for [[Iconographer]]s.
Shortly after the uncovering of the relics, the Life of the holy Prince Theodore the Black was written by the hieromonk Anthony of the Yaroslav Savior monastery with the blessing of Metropolitan [[Philip II of Moscow|Philip of Moscow]]. Another version of the Life was written by Andrew Yuriev at the St. [[Cyril of White Lake ]] monastery, while a third and more detailed Life of St. Theodore was included in the "Book of Ranks of Imperial Genealogy," compiled under Tsar [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan the Terrible]] and Metropolitan [[Macarius of Moscow]].
Over the centuries spiritual songs have been composed about Prince Theodore glorifying his piety and discernment, beneficence and kind-heartedness, and his concern for building and adorning churches.
[[Category: Russian Saints]]
[[Category: Rulers]]
[[Category:13th-century saints]]
