SYNCELLUS, or SINCELLUS, an ancient officer in the family of the patriarchs and other prelates of the eastern church. The word, in the corrupt Greek, συνκλήσις, signifies a person who lies in the chamber with another; a chamber-fellow, or chum. The syncellus was an ecclesiastic, who lived with the patriarch of Constantinople, to be a witness of his conduct; whence it is that the syncellus was also called the patriarch's eye, because his business was to observe and watch. The other prelates had also their syn-
cells, who were clerks living in the house with them, and even lying in the same chamber, to be witnesses of the purity of their manners. The office afterwards degenerated into a mere dignity; and there were made syncelli of churches. At last, it became a title of honour, and was bestowed by the emperor on the prelates themselves; whom they called pontifical syncelli, and syncelli Augustales.