Simandu was an archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Tzamandos, Cappadocia, attested between the tenth and twelfth centuries. Thirteen of its bishops are mentioned in the lists of Michael the Syriac and other Syriac Orthodox sources.

Sources The main primary source for the Syriac Orthodox metropolitans of Simandu is the record of episcopal consecrations appended to Volume III of the Chronicle of the Syriac Orthodox patriarch Michael the Syrian (1166–99). In this Appendix Michael listed most of the bishops consecrated by the Syriac Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch between the ninth and twelfth centuries. Twenty-eight Syriac Orthodox patriarchs sat during this period, and in many cases Michael was able to list the names of the bishops consecrated during their reigns, their monasteries of origin, and the place where they were consecrated.

Two twelfth-century bishops omitted from Michael's list are mentioned in the Chronicon Ecclesiasticum of the Syriac Orthodox maphrian Bar Hebraeus (ob.1286).

Location Simandu was a district near Melitene, known in Greek as Tzamandos. During the twelfth century it was included in the territories of the Frankish County of Edessa.Fiey, POCN, 268

Bishops and metropolitans of Simandu Eleven Syriac Orthodox metropolitans of Simandu are mentioned in the lists of Michael the Syrian.Michael the Syrian, Chronicle, iii. 451–82 and 502 Name From Consecrated in the reign of Place of consecration Yaʿqob Unspecified Iwanis II (954–7) not known Basil Monastery of the Mother of God Yohannan VI (965–86) not known Eliya Monastery of Peter Athanasius IV Laʿzar (987–1003) Not known Philoxenus Mor Bar Sauma Monastery, Melitene Dionysius IV Heheh (1032–42) Not known Ignatius Monastery of Barid Athanasius V Haya (1058–64) not known Athanasius Monastery of Barid Yohannan VIII bar Shushan (1063–73) Harran Yohannan ʿAbdon Monastery of Bar Gaghi, Melitene Basil II (1074–5) Monastery of Mar Bar Sawma, Melitene Basil Monastery of Barid Athanasius VI bar Khamoro (1091–1129) not known Mattai Monastery of Beth Qenaya Yohannan X Maudiana (1129–37) not known Basil Monastery of Mar Ahron, Shigar Athanasius VII bar Qutreh (1139–66) not known

Two twelfth-century bishops of Simandu omitted from the lists of Michael the Syrian are mentioned in the Chronicon Ecclesiasticum of Bar Hebraeus:

Yohannan, previously bishop of Segestan, was awarded the diocese of Simandu at the synod of Kaishum in 1129, at the request of the Frankish count Joscelin I of Edessa. Bar Turkaya, bishop of Tel Bshir, was transferred to Simandu in or shortly after 1132, and after a short residence as bishop of Simandu was again transferred to Habora.Bar Hebraeus, Chronicon Ecclesiasticum, i. 520

The diocese of Simandu seems to have lapsed around the end of the twelfth century, perhaps after the death of the bishop Basil (1139/1166).

Notes

References

Jean-Baptiste Chabot, Chronique de Michel le Syrien, Patriarche Jacobite d'Antiche (1166-1199). Éditée pour la première fois et traduite en francais I-IV (1899;1901;1905;1910; a supplement to volume I containing an introduction to Michael and his work, corrections, and an index, was published in 1924. Reprinted in four volumes 1963, 2010).