Location: Constantinople, Byzantine Empire

Surname/tag: Byzantine Empire
The apocrisiarius was the papal legate to the patriarch of Constantinople. Their role was to represent the interests of the Church in Rome at the imperial court in Constantinople, living in the Placidia Palace when in Constantinople.[1]
There was also an apocrisiarius between the Archbishop of Ravenna and the pope who also held the role of responsalis who was a high diplomatic representative or ambassadors at the papal court in the Late Antiquity and early Middle Ages.
As members of the diaconate in the most part, they were highly educated and skilled in diplomatic negotiations. The deacon is ordained to the service of the bishop to carry out his orders and represents him.[2]
The term was also used by other ecclesiastical envoys between bishops and royal courts.
Seven apocrisiarii were selected as pope.
The office ceased in the 8th century being replaced by syncellus who represented the emperor not the patriarch.
Apocrisiarii included[1]:
- Julianus, Bishop of Cos (c450-457) representing Pope Leo I to Emperor Marcian
- Vigilius (?-536) representing Pope Agapetus I to Justinian I
- Pelagius (536-?) representing Pope Agapetus I
- Stephen (?) representing Pope Vigilius
- Deacon Gregory (579-585) representing Pope Pelagius II to Emperor Tiberius II Constantine and then Emperor Maurice
- Archdeacon Laurence (585- after Sept 591) representing Pope Pelagius II to Emperor Maurice
- Deacon Honoratus (?) representing Pope Gregory 1 to Emperor Maurice
- Sabinanus (c July 593-after Nov 597) representing Pope Gregory 1 to Emperor Maurice
- Anatolius (597- Jan 602) representing Pope Gregory 1 to Emperor Maurice
- Boniface (after July 603 - after Nov 603) representing Pope Gregory 1 to Emperor Maurice
- Deacon Cataadioce (603-606) representing Pope Gregory 1 to Emperor Phocas
- Theodore
- Deacon Martin (642-649) representing Pope Theodore I
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wikipedia: Papal apocrisiarius
- ↑ Collins, John N Diakonia: re-interpreting the Ancient Sources 1990, OUP.
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