Ebook: The Correspondence of Leo, Metropolitan of Synada and Syncellus

The corpus of Leo of Synada (937–ca. 1003) contains fifty-three letters, including one from Stephen of Nicomedia, and a will. Particularly important are a series of thirteen letters written during Leo's diplomatic mission to the West (996–998) and two that detail the political maneuvering prior to the election of Patriarch Sisinnius II. In addition to their historical value, the letters also provide useful and at times highly entertaining insights into the personalities and institutions of Byzantium in the late tenth century. The critical text is accompanied by a translation and commentary.