Leo of Synada ( – after 1003) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

cleric, diplomat and writer of the late 10th century.

Life

Origin and family

Leo was born in , likely in 937.. Leo and his life are known only through his letters, written during the reign of

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...

() and addressed to the emperor and various senior church and civil officials. Most of his letters have been dated to the 990s, but some may be later still. The letters also provide some glimpses into his family: he had an uncle who was a bishop (probably also of Synnada), and a full brother. Leo had also an unnamed adoptive father, who died . This man's son, and Leo's "spiritual" brother, was the ''

patrikios The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned aft ...

'' Methodios, with whom Leo evidently had a good relationship. Leo's letters reveal a good education, but not any details on how or where he got it. Likewise, his early life, including his entry into the clergy, are left unmentioned.

Bishop and ''synkellos''

Leo became

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the ...

of Synada in Phrygia some time before 996, and no earlier than 976. By 996, he also served as '' synkellos'' of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The patriarchal see had been vacant since 991, but when the synod convened to elect a new patriarch in March/April 996, Leo was not present, not making it to the capital in time. Despite his protests to Emperor, the election went ahead, and Sisinnios II was chosen.

Diplomatic mission

In 996–998, he was sent on a long diplomatic mission to the West: In August–October 997 he crossed "Frankia" (the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

under Otto III) to negotiate a marriage alliance with Constantinople, before beginning the return journey to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in November 997. He stayed in Rome in February–May 998, where he supported the antipope John Philagathos, despite his strong personal dislike of the man. He sailed from

Otranto Otranto (, , ; scn, label=Salentino, Oṭṛàntu; el, label= Griko, Δερεντό, Derentò; grc, Ὑδροῦς, translit=Hudroûs; la, Hydruntum) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a ferti ...

in mid-autumn 998 and returned to Constantinople.

Last years

He wrote his testament at the age of 66, i.e., in the year 1003. Nothing further is known about him after that. According to

Alexander Kazhdan Alexander Petrovich Kazhdan (russian: Алекса́ндр Петро́вич Кажда́н; 3 September 1922 – 29 May 1997) was a Soviet-American Byzantinist. Among his publications was the three-volume ''Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', a com ...

, "mild humor and sarcasm fill the letters and esp. Leo's will, written at the age of 66", where he "calculates the number of his sins at 48,180".

References

Sources

* * {{Authority control 940s births 10th-century Byzantine bishops 11th-century Byzantine bishops 11th-century deaths Byzantine letter writers Byzantine diplomats Basil II Bishops of Synnada Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown 10th-century diplomats