Theodorus Studita (759–826)

Byzantine monk and abbot of the Studios monastery.

He is famous for his uncompromising opposition to the reintroduction of Iconoclasm by the Emperor Leo V, for which he was exiled 815. He also fought obstinately for the independence of the church from the state, and its well-being in all contexts. He campaigned for reform in monasteries, and promoted the idea of communal living, for which he wrote a rule. The school of disciples he left proved as fanatical as himself, and a disruptive force in Byzantine life.