Patriarch Antony I of Constantinople
Encyclopedia
Antony I Kassymatas, Patriarch of Constantinople
from January 821 to January 837.
in c. 800. He later became a monk and advanced to the position of abbot. By 814 he had become the bishop of Syllaion in Anatolia
. Although Antony was an Iconodule, he became an Iconoclast
in 815, when Emperor Leo V
reinstituted Iconoclasm. The reason for Antony's change of heart is said to have included his hope for attaining the patriarchate. The emperor appointed him a member of the committee headed by the future Patriarch John Grammatikos
to find patristic support for Iconoclasm. In 821 the new Emperor Michael II
appointed Antony patriarch, disappointing the Stoudites
, who were hoping that icons would be restored. When the patriarch of Antioch crowned Thomas the Slav
rival emperor, Antony had him excommunicated in 822. The iconodule historians record that Antony was stricken with a wasting disease as divine punishment for his participation in Iconoclast councils. The patriarch died early in 837 and was later anathema
tized in the Orthodox synodika.
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
from January 821 to January 837.
Life
Antony was of undistinguished background but received a good education, becoming a lawyer in ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
in c. 800. He later became a monk and advanced to the position of abbot. By 814 he had become the bishop of Syllaion in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. Although Antony was an Iconodule, he became an Iconoclast
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
in 815, when Emperor Leo V
Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 813 to 820. A senior general, he forced his predecessor, Michael I Rangabe, to abdicate and assumed the throne. He ended the decade-long war with the Bulgars, and initiated the second period of Byzantine Iconoclasm...
reinstituted Iconoclasm. The reason for Antony's change of heart is said to have included his hope for attaining the patriarchate. The emperor appointed him a member of the committee headed by the future Patriarch John Grammatikos
Patriarch John VII of Constantinople
John VII Grammatikos or Grammaticus, i.e., "the Grammarian" , Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from January 21, 837 to March 4, 843, died before 867. He is not to be confused with the much earlier philosopher John Philoponos.-Life:John was born to an aristocratic family of Armenian origin...
to find patristic support for Iconoclasm. In 821 the new Emperor Michael II
Michael II
Michael II , surnamed the Amorian or the Stammerer , reigned as Byzantine emperor from December 820 to his death on 2 October 829, and the first ruler of the Phrygian or Amorian dynasty....
appointed Antony patriarch, disappointing the Stoudites
Stoudios
The Monastery of Stoudios, more fully Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner "at Stoudios" The Monastery of Stoudios, more fully Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner "at Stoudios" The Monastery of Stoudios, more fully Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner "at Stoudios" (Greek Μονή του Αγίου...
, who were hoping that icons would be restored. When the patriarch of Antioch crowned Thomas the Slav
Thomas the Slav
Thomas the Slav was a 9th-century Byzantine military commander, most notable for leading a wide-scale revolt against Emperor Michael II the Amorian in 820–823....
rival emperor, Antony had him excommunicated in 822. The iconodule historians record that Antony was stricken with a wasting disease as divine punishment for his participation in Iconoclast councils. The patriarch died early in 837 and was later anathema
Anathema
Anathema originally meant something lifted up as an offering to the gods; it later evolved to mean:...
tized in the Orthodox synodika.