Was the most powerful church leader of the ninth century a master of deceit?

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Photios I of Constantinople was a brilliant scholar and the leading light of his era, yet his rise to power was marked by political intrigue and a legendary practical joke. Whether he was a saintly intellectual or a manipulative opportunist remains a subject of intense debate among historians today.

Born around 815 into a noble family with deep ties to the patriarchate, Photios I was a polymath whose library covered everything from medicine to philosophy. Despite his scholarly inclinations, he rose through the imperial ranks to become chief secretary. In 858, he was thrust into the patriarchal throne after Emperor Michael III forced his predecessor, Ignatius, into resignation. This rapid ascent—moving from layman to patriarch in just five days—triggered the Photian schism, a massive ecclesiastical conflict between Rome and Constantinople.

Photios was a master of both statecraft and intellectual games. To embarrass his rival Ignatius, he once invented a fake theory claiming humans possessed two souls, only to withdraw it once Ignatius had publicly committed to the idea. Historian John Julius Norwich famously called this the only truly satisfactory practical joke in theological history. Yet, his influence was far from merely playful; he was a central figure in the conversion of the Slavs and a staunch defender of Byzantine spiritual independence against the Western Church.

His legacy is complicated by the fact that most surviving accounts of his life were written by his enemies. While Catholic authorities posthumously condemned his theological views and viewed his career as a disgrace, the Eastern Orthodox Church venerates him as 'Saint Photius the Great.' His monumental work, the Bibliotheca, preserved summaries of hundreds of ancient texts that would otherwise be lost to history. Whether viewed as a brilliant humanist or a political schemer, Photios I remains one of the most significant figures in the history of the Byzantine Empire.

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