Photius (in Greek Φωτιoς; b. Constantinople ca. 820 – d. Bordi (Armenia), February 6, 891) is widely regarded as one of the greatest patriarchs of Constantinople (858–861 and 878–886) since the times of John Chrysostom. He was later recognized as a Saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Map of Constantinople. ... Events Michael II succeeds Leo V as Byzantine Emperor The Historia Brittonum is written (approximate date) Births Rhodri Mawr (the Great), ruler of Gwynedd (Wales) (approximate date) Photius I, patriarch of Constantinople (approximate date) Deaths December 24: Leo V, Byzantine Emperor (assassinated) Shankara, Hinduist teacher Tang Xian Zong, emperor of... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events October 6 - Election of Pope Formosus Arnulf of Carinthia defeats the Normans at the Battle of Leuven Births Abd ar-Rahman III, emir and first caliph of Córdoba. ... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, ranking as the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox communion. ... Events Patriarch Ignatius is imprisoned and (December 25) deposed to be succeeded by patriarch Photius I. Louis the German invades West Francia, hoping to secure Aquitaine from his brother Charles the Bald, but fails. ... Events Carloman revolts against his father Louis the German. ... Events The Danes force king Alfred the Great of Wessex to retreat to a fort in Athelney, Somerset. ... Events The Glagolitic alphabet, devised by Cyril and Methodius, missionairies from Constantinople, is adopted in the Bulgarian Empire. ... Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... ...

Life

Little is known of his origin or family. His Byzantine biographers reported that Emperor Leo VI once angrily called him "Khazar-faced", but whether this was a generic insult or a reference to his ethnicity is unclear. This article is about the Byzantine Emperor. ... The Khazars were a Turkic semi-nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. ...

As soon as he had completed his own education, Photius began to teach grammar, rhetoric, divinity and philosophy. The way to public life was probably opened for him by the marriage of his brother Sergius to the princess Irene, sister of Theodora, who upon the death of her husband Theophilus in 842, had assumed the regency of the empire. Photius became captain of the guard and subsequently first imperial secretary. Grammar is the study of rules governing the use of language. ... Rhetoric (from Greek ρήτωρ, rhêtôr, orator) is one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (the other members are dialectic and grammar) in Western culture. ... Divinity has a number of related uses in the field of religious belief and study. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Theodora was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Theophilus. ... Theophilus (813 - 842) was Byzantine emperor from 829 to 842. ... Events Oaths of Strasbourg — alliance of Louis the German and Charles the Bald against emperor Lothar — sworn and recorded in vernacular languages. ...

The dissension between the patriarch Ignatius and Bardas, the uncle of the youthful Emperor Michael III, concerning Bardas' relationship with his niece, brought promotion to Photius. Ignatius was arrested and imprisoned (858), and upon refusing to resign his office was deposed, while Photius was inducted into the priesthood within six days, and was installed as patriarch in his place. This coin struck during the regency of Theodora shows how Michael was less prominent than his mother, who is represented as ruler alone on the obverse, and even than his sister Thecla, who is depicted together with the young Michael on the reverse of this coin. ... Events Patriarch Ignatius is imprisoned and (December 25) deposed to be succeeded by patriarch Photius I. Louis the German invades West Francia, hoping to secure Aquitaine from his brother Charles the Bald, but fails. ...

Ignatius continued to refuse abdication. His cause was taken up by Pope Nicholas I. When in 863 Nicholas anathematized and deposed Photius, the latter replied with a counter-excommunication. Nicholas I,(Rome c. ... Events Constantine I succeeds as king of Scotland. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The situation was suddenly changed by the murder of Photius's patron, Bardas, by order of the emperor Michael, who was himself assassinated by his colleague Basil I in the following year (867). The fall of Photius followed; he was removed from his office and banished about the end of September 867, a few days after the accession of Basil, and Ignatius was reinstated on November 23. About 876 Photius was suddenly recalled to Constantinople and entrusted with the education of Basil's children. On the death of Ignatius, probably in October 878, Photius, after a decent show of reluctance, again filled the patriarchal throne. Bardas was the regent (856-866) of Byzantine Emperor Michael III. Bardas was apparently the son of Marinos Mamikonian and the brother of Theodora, the wife of Byzantine Emperor Theophilus. ... Basil, his son Constantine, and his second wife, emperess Eudoxia Ingerina. ... Events September - Basil I becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. ... November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 38 days remaining. ... Events Seiwa is succeeded by Yozei as emperor of Japan. ... Events The Danes force king Alfred the Great of Wessex to retreat to a fort in Athelney, Somerset. ...

He then obtained the formal recognition of the Christian world. In November 879 a synod was convened at Constantinople. The legates of Pope John VIII attended, prepared to acknowledge Photius as legitimate patriarch, a concession for which John was much censured by Latin opinion. He stood firm, however, on the other two points which had long been contested between the Eastern and Western Churches, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Bulgaria and the introduction of the "filioque" clause into the creed (see also filioque clause). Events Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona, founded the benedictine monastery at Ripoll. ... John VIII was pope from 872 to 882. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... In Christian theology the filioque clause or filioque controversy (filioque meaning and [from] the Son) is a disputed part of the Nicene Creed and is most often referred to as simply filioque or the filioque. ...

At the height of success, he was suddenly brought down by another palace revolution. After the death of Basil (886), his son and successor Leo VI, who had formerly been devoted to Photius, but in recent years displayed great hatred toward him, deprived him of his office and banished him to the monastery of Bordi in Armenia. From this time Photius disappears from history. No letters of this period of his life are extant. The precise date of his death is not known, but it is said to have occurred on February 6, 891. Events The Glagolitic alphabet, devised by Cyril and Methodius, missionairies from Constantinople, is adopted in the Bulgarian Empire. ... This article is about the Byzantine Emperor. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events October 6 - Election of Pope Formosus Arnulf of Carinthia defeats the Normans at the Battle of Leuven Births Abd ar-Rahman III, emir and first caliph of Córdoba. ...

Writings

The most important of the works of Photius is his renowned Bibliotheca or Myriobiblon, a collection of extracts and abridgments of 280 volumes of classical authors (usually cited as Codices), the originals of which are now to a great extent lost. The work is specially rich in extracts from historical writers. The Bibliotheca was the 9th century work of Byzantine Patriarch Photius, composed of 279 reviews of books which he had read. ...

To Photius we are indebted for almost all we possess of Ctesias, Memnon, Conon, the lost books of Diodorus Siculus, and the lost writings of Arrian. Theology and ecclesiastical history are also very fully represented, but poetry and ancient philosophy are almost entirely ignored. It seems that he did not think it necessary to deal with those authors with whom every well-educated man would naturally be familiar. The literary criticisms, generally distinguished by keen and independent judgment, and the excerpts vary considerably in length. The numerous biographical notes are probably taken from the work of Hesychius of Miletus. Ctesias of Cnidus (in Caria), was a Greek physician and historian, who flourished in the 5th century BC. In early life he was physician to Artaxerxes Mnemon, whom he accompanied in 401 BC on his expedition against his brother Cyrus the Younger. ... In Greek mythology, Memnon was an Ethiopian king and son of Tithonus and Eos. ... Conon was an Athenian general at the end of the Peloponnesian War, in charge during the decisive loss of the navy at the battle of Aegospotami. ... Diodorus Siculus (ca. ... Lucius Flavius Arrianus Xenophon (c 92-c 175), known in English as Arrian, was a Roman historian. ... Hesychius of Miletus, Greek chronicler and biographer, surnamed Illustrius, son of an advocate, flourished at Constantinople in the 5th century AD during the reign of Justinian. ...

The Lexicon, published later than the Bibliotheca, was probably in the main the work of some of his pupils. It was intended as a book of reference to facilitate the reading of old classical and sacred authors, whose language and vocabulary were out of date. The only manuscript of the Lexicon is the Codex Galeanus, which passed into the library of Trinity College, Cambridge. Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names Kings Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College(s) Christ Church Master The Lord Rees of Ludlow Location Trinity Street...

His most important theological work is the Amphilochia, a collection of some 300 questions and answers on difficult points in Scripture, addressed to Amphilochius, archbishop of Cyzicus. Other similar works are his treatise in four books against the Manichaeans and Paulicians, and his controversy with the Latins on the Procession of the Holy Spirit. Manichaeism was one of the major ancient religions. ... Bogomils was the name of an ancient Gnostic religious community which is thought to have originated in Bulgaria. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The chief contemporary authority for the life of Photius is his bitter enemy, Nicetas the Paphlagonian, the biographer of his rival Ignatius.

Bishops of Byzantium (until 330) St. ... Bishops of Byzantium (until 330) St. ... Bishops of Byzantium (until 325) St. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Events Patriarch Ignatius is imprisoned and (December 25) deposed to be succeeded by patriarch Photius I. Louis the German invades West Francia, hoping to secure Aquitaine from his brother Charles the Bald, but fails. ... Events September - Basil I becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. ... Events The Danes take Exeter Indravarman II succeeds Jayavarman III as ruler of the Khmer Empire. ... Events The Glagolitic alphabet, devised by Cyril and Methodius, missionairies from Constantinople, is adopted in the Bulgarian Empire. ... Bishops of Byzantium (until 330) St. ... Stephen Porphyrogometus (d. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain.

The 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1910-1911) is the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External link

• The Myrobiblion at Tertullian.Org