Georgios 126

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitE/M VIII
Dates731 (taq) / 732 (tpq)
PmbZ No.2289
Variant NamesGeorgius
ReligionChristian;
Iconophile
LocationsRome (officeplace);
Rome;
Constantinople;
Sicily
OccupationPriest
Textual SourcesLiber Pontificalis, ed. L. Duchesne, Le liber pontificalis. Texte, introduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Paris, 1886-92); re-issued with 3rd vol. by C. Vogel, (Paris, 1955-57) (chronicle)

Georgios 126 was a priest at Rome; he was sent to Constantinople by pope Gregory III (Gregorios 7) shortly after Gregorios 7 became pope (in 731) with stern letters warning the emperor Leo III (Leo 3) and his son Constantine (Konstantinos 7) against their iconoclast policies ("per Georgium presbiterum"); in Constantinople, Georgios 126 was afraid to deliver the letters and returned to Rome with them still in his possession; he confessed his fault and was only saved from dismissal from the priesthood by the intercession of a council of local clergy and notables; the pope subjected him to penance and then sent him again with a longer version of the same letters; by order of the emperor, however, the letters were seized and detained in Sicily while Georgios 126 was exiled for nearly a whole year: Lib. Pont. 92. 2.

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