Ioannes 4

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitE VIII
Dates712 (taq) / 715 (ob.)
PmbZ No.2954
Variant Namespatriarch John VI
ReligionChristian;
Monothelete;
Anti-monothelete
LocationsConstantinople (officeplace);
Constantinople (residence);
Constantinople
OccupationArchivist;
Bishop;
Deacon
TitlesArchbishop, Constantinople (office);
Bishop, Constantinople (office);
Chartophylax of the oikonomeion (office);
Patriarch, Constantinople (office)
Textual SourcesAgatho Diaconus, Epilogus, ed. Riedinger, ACO II 2. 898-901 = Mansi XII 189-196. (theology);
John VI, patriarch of Constantinople, Epistula ad Constantinum papam, Mansi XII, pp. 196-208; also PG 96. 1415-34 (letters);
Liber Pontificalis, ed. L. Duchesne, Le liber pontificalis. Texte, introduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Paris, 1886-92); re-issued with 3rd vol. by C. Vogel, (Paris, 1955-57) (chronicle);
Nicephorus, Breviarium Historiae, ed. C. Mango, Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople: Short History; prev. ed. C. de Boor Nicephori ArchiepiscopiConstantinopolitani Opuscula Historica Leipzig 1880 (history);
Nicephorus, Chronographikon Suntomon, ed. C. de Boor, Nicephori Archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani Opuscula Historica (Leipzig, 1880), pp. 79-135;
Theophanes Confessor, Chronographia, ed. C. de Boor, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1883-85, repr. Hildesheim/NewYork, 1980); tr. and comm. C. Mango and R. Scott, The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, Oxford 1997 (chronicle);
Zonaras = Ioannis Zonarae Epitome Historiarum, libri XIII-XVIII, ed. Th. Büttner-Wobst, (Bonn, 1897) (history)

Ioannes 4 was deacon and chartophylax of the oikonomeion: Nic., Chron., p. 119, 71 (Ἰωάννης διάκονος καὶ χαρτοφύλαξ τοῦ οἰκονομείου). He was patriarch of Constantinople for three years, in succession to Kyros 1: Nic., Chron., p. 119, 71, Theoph. AM 6177 (γενέσθαι Ἰωάννην πατριάρχην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως), Theoph. AM 6203 (Κῦρον δὲ τὸν πατριάρχην ἐξωθήσας τῆς ἐκκλησίας Ἰωάννην τὸν αὐτοῦ συμμύστην καὶ συναιρετικὸν προεβάλετο), Theoph. AM 6204 (Ἰωάννην, ὃν ἐπίσκοπον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως πεποίηκε καθελὼν Κῦρον), Theoph. AM 6206 (Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη γ'. γ'.). He was appointed patriarch by the emperor Philippikos 1, after the expulsion of Kyros 1, in 712, as a supporter and fellow-heretic (τὸν αὐτοῦ συμμύστην καὶ συναιρετικὸν: Theoph. AM 6203): Theoph. AM 6203, cf. AM 6204 and Zon. XIV 26. 6 (Κῦρον δὲ τὸν πατριάρχην ἐξωθήσας τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἐπὶ ἓξ ἔτη ἐν ταύτῃ διαγαγόντα, Ἰωάννην ὁμόδοξον ἑαυτῷ προεβάλετο). In his letter to pope Konstantinos 136 (see below) Ioannes 4 claimed that he was unwilling to become patriarch and was not the choice of Philippikos 1 but was forced on the emperor by the clergy: Mansi XII 197. He supported Philippikos 1 in rejecting the decisions of the Sixth Ecumenical Council and declaring in favour of the doctrine of One Will (monotheletism): Nic. Brev. de Boor 48, Mango 46, Theoph. AM 6177, AM 6204. After the overthrow of Philippikos 1 he crowned Anastasios 6 as emperor and then reversed his religious stance and opposed monotheletism; he sent a letter about the reign of the monothelete Philippikos 1 to the bishop of Rome, Konstantinos 136, with his synodika, to restore peace in the Church: Agatho Diac. (Mansi XII 193). The letter is extant (it was added by Agatho to his statement in confirmation of his account): Mansi XII 196-208. The reply to it was sent by the successor of Konstantinos 136, Gregorios 72 (pope Gregory II): Lib. Pont. 91. 2. Ioannes 4 died in 715 and was succeeded by Germanos 8: Theoph. AM 6177 (who was consecrated on 11 August 715, Theoph. AM 6207). According to Zonaras he was dismissed as a monothelete by Anastasios 6 after three years as patriarch and replaced by Germanos 8: Zon. XIV 27. 2 (οὗτος τὸν πατριάρχην Ἰωάννην τοῦ ἀρχιερατικοῦ κατασπάσας θρόνου ὡς μὴ ὀρθόδοξον ἔτη τρία τῆς ἐκκλησίας κρατήσαντα, μετατίθησιν ἐκ Κυζίκου ἐπὶ τὴν ἱερὰν καθέδραν τῆς βασιλίδος τῶν πόλεων Γερμανόν).

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