Theoktistos, hēgumenos of Esphigmenu and prōtos of Athos A Chalcedonian Armenian in Eleventh-Century Byzantium

Whilst the presence of Chalcedonian Armenians on Mount Athos is not contested, they have nonetheless proven<br/>difficult to trace. This makes the case of Theoktistos, hēgumenos of Esphigmenu and prōtos of Athos, all the more intriguing. In<br/>1035 CE, Theoktistos appended his signature twice to a document now preserved in the collection of the Monastery of Great<br/>Lavra — signing in Greek and Armenian. This paper explores the life and career of Theoktistos, highlighting how this Chalcedonian<br/>Armenian participated in the life of Mount Athos as a prominent member of its monastic leadership. It ultimately argues<br/>that the case of Theoktistos serves as a useful device to renegotiate and reconsider scholarly approaches to the role of Chalcedonian<br/>Armenians in tenth- and eleventh-century Byzantium, providing a compelling case study in the context of recent scholarship<br/>which is increasingly engaged in questions of multilingualism and identity in the field of Byzantine Studies.