9th century
Saint Photios the Great
Ninth-century patriarch of Constantinople and scholar.
Biography
Photios (c. 810–893) was one of the most important scholars of Byzantium. He was twice patriarch of Constantinople (858–867 and 877–886).
The mission of Cyril and Methodius to the Slavs began in his time. His best-known work, the Bibliotheca (Myriobiblos), preserves summaries of many ancient books that are otherwise lost.