METROPHANES OF SMYRNA

Metropolitan from 857 to 880. He was one of the intransigent prelates who refused to recognize photius as the legitimate patriarch of Constantinople after the resignation of Ignatius. He was deposed by a Photian synod and was exiled to Cherson by the Emperor michael iii. In 860 he met Constantine-Cyril and his brother Methodius, who stopped at Cherson on their embassy to the Khazars. He gave information to anastasius the librarian on the discovery by Constantine of relics believed to be those of Pope Clement I and on Constantine's writings about the discovery and in honor of St. Clement. After the deposition of Photius, Metrophanes played an important role at the Council of 869–870. When Photius was reinstated as patriarch after Ignatius's death (878), Metrophanes refused to recognize his offer of reconciliation and friendship. He refused to appear at the Union Council (879–880), which had rehabilitated Photius, and was deposed and excommunicated by the papal legates sent by Pope john viii. He may have recovered the See of Smyrna after Photius's resignation in 886. He wrote eulogies on St. Polycarp of Smyrna and the archangels Michael and Gabriel, and commentaries to the first Epistle of St. John, the Catholic letters, and Ecclesiastes (preserved only in a Georgian translation, pub. K. K. Kekelidze, 1920).

Bibliography: j. d. mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collection, 31 v. (Florence-Venice 1757–98); reprinted and continued by l. petit and j. b. martin, 53 v. in 60 (Paris 1889–1927; repr. Graz 1960–) 16:54–73, 178. r. janin, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951–) 10.2:1627–28. j. a. g. hergenrÖther, Photius, 4 v. in 3 (Regensberg 1867–69) v. 1–2, passim. f. dvornik, The Photian Schism (Cambridge, Eng. 1948) 43–49, 238–. h. g. beck, Kirche und theologische Literatur im byzantinischen Reich (Munich 1959) 543–544.

[f. dvornik]