Saint Theonistus

Theonistus (Theonist, Teonesto, Thaumastus, Thaumastos, Theonestus, Thonistus, Onistus, Teonisto, Tonisto) is a saint venerated by the Catholic Church. Theonistus is venerated with two companions, Tabra and Tabratha (also Tabraham and Tubraham). Medieval documents give accounts of his life, which are contradictory and confusing. His legend is very confused and complex. He may have been a martyr at the end of the 4th or end of the 5th century. His legend is presented in a shorter, older version of the 10th century, which calls him a bishop of an island called Namsia or Namsis, and a longer version of the 11th century, which calls him a bishop of Philippi. According to the 11th-century account, Theonistus, along with Alban of Mainz, Tabra, Tabratha, and Ursus, attended a council in Carthage (the Council of Carthage of 670, but the chronology is confused), and then went on a pilgrimage to Rome. They then met Ambrose at Milan, and were sent to serve as missionaries to Gallia. Ursus was killed either at Aosta (according to the older account) or Augsburg (according to the 11th-century account). Albinus was beheaded by the Arians at Mainz and was a cephalophore. A miracle allowed Theonistus, Tabra, and Tabratha to escape from Mainz, and they managed to reach either Gothia (10th century version) or Gallia (11th-century version), and then reached Otranto (10th-century version) or Sicily (11th-century version). Finally, they were martyred at Roncade or Altino by beheading, and were also said to have been cephalophores. The chronological information in the sources is contradictory. Bede dates their martyrdom to the time of Diocletian (ca. 303), while Rabanus and Notker the Stammerer date their martyrdom to the time of Theodosius II. However, their martyrdom may also date to the time of Hunneric (477-484).