Photios (name)

Photios (Φώτιος) is a Greek given name, and more famously, the name of two significant figures in Byzantine history:

• Photios I of Constantinople (c. 810/820 – 893 AD): Commonly known as Photius the Great, he was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 858 to 867 and from 877 to 886. He is recognized as a saint by Eastern Orthodox Christians. Photius was a highly influential theologian, scholar, and diplomat. His works include the Bibliotheca (also known as the Myriobiblon), a collection of summaries and analyses of numerous ancient Greek works, many of which would otherwise have been lost. He was a key figure in the Photian Schism, a dispute with the Papacy that foreshadowed the Great Schism of 1054.

• Photios (14th century): Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus' from 1408 to 1431. He was a prominent figure in the Eastern Orthodox Church during a turbulent period. His tenure involved navigating complex political situations and trying to maintain the unity of the Rus' lands.