TEOFILATTO (Theofilacias, Theophilactus). — Of Greek origin, as seems likely, erroneously included among the antipopes.
Archdeacon of the Roman Church since the pontificate of Pope Zacharias, two letters written by him to Boniface, the apostle of Germany, survive (S. Bonifatti et Lulli ep., 84, 85; ed. E. Dümmler, in MGH, Epist. Merovingii et Karolini aevi, I [1892], pp. 366-67). From October 753 to July 755 he accompanied Stephen II to Pavia and France. Upon the death of Stephen (26 April 757), the pro-Byzantine faction opposed T. to Paul I, the deceased’s brother and a mere deacon; but since the electors of the latter were more numerous, they prevailed, and T.’s supporters, who had barricaded themselves in the archdeacon’s house, were dispersed. No further mention is made of T., and Paul wrote to Pippin that he had been elected «a cuncta populorum caterva» (Liber Carolinus, ep. 12; ed. W. Gundlach, ibid., p. 505).