. . .
the party of the extremists and decided to heal the breach with
Rome. According to the account of Georgios the Monk and
others, Photios, probably on the day of the Feast of St.
Demetrios on 26 October 867, criticized the recent actions of
the emperor and refused him Holy Communion. 104 By
November of that same year Patriarch Photios had been de-
posed and was restricted to the Monastery of Skepe. 105 In
the interim, Basil sent Admiral Helias to the island of Tere-
binthos, where Ignatios resided, to escort him back to the
capital with great honors and pomp. Upon his return to Con-
stantinople, Ignatios began his second term as patriarch. 106
Immediately, in the winter of 868, Basil sent Spatharios
Euthymios to Rome to announce the changes in Constanti-
nople.107 Pope Adrian II in return sent Euthymios back with
Theognostos carrying two letters - one addressed to the em-
peror, in which he commended him for replacing Photios with
Ignatios, and another to Patriarch Ignatios. The pope also
requested that representatives be sent from Constantinople to
participate in the Roman synod which he planned to call the
following year.
Emperor Basil I, accommodating the request, sent the em-
bassy to Rome, probably in the spring of 869. Among the
emissaries were Basil the spatharios; one representative of
Ignatios, John of Lilaison; and one of Photios', Peter of
Sardes.108 A letter was also sent by the emperor asking for
fairness in the verdict and for a special delegation from Rome
to Constantinople to announce it. 109
The Byzantine embassy was received by the pope at the
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the acts of the Synod
of 867 were read. Subsequently, a synod took place, probably
at the beginning of June, since a letter sent by the pope to the
emperor referring to the findings is dated 10 June 869.110
The synod condemned and anathematized Photios, including
all his acts and all the bishops and churches that he had con-
secrated.111 At the end of the meeting, the acts of the Synod of
867 were burned in front of St. Peter's Cathedral in a
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