The Correspondence of Leo, Metropolitan of Synada and Syncellus

The corpus of Leo of Synada (937-ca. 1003) contains fifty-three letters, including one from Stephen of Nicomedia, and a will. Particularly important are a series of thirteen letters written during Leo's diplomatic mission to the West (996-998) and two that detail the political maneuvering prior to the election of Patriarch Sisinnius II (996-998). In addition to their historical value, the letters also provide useful and at times highly entertaining insights into the personalities and institutions of Byzantium in the late tenth century.