Theoctistus was a friend of St. Joseph, and was a monk at the Studium at Constantinople in the latter part of St. Joseph's residence at that famous monastery, about the middle of the ninth century. Very little is known about Theoctistus, and the only hymnodical work which can be attributed to him with certainty, is a very attractive canon in the Parakletike, called The Supplicant Canon of Theoctistus to Jesus. A cento from that canon beginning |Jesus, name all names above,| is in common use.