Ioannes 81 was also called Hexaboules or Hexaboulios: Scriptor Incertus 343, Theoph. Cont. I 8 (p. 17) (Ἰωάννης οὗτος ὁ κατὰ τὸν Ἑξαβούλιον), II 19 (p. 69), Scyl., p. 7, Genesius I 3 (τῶν Ἐξαβουλίων ἐκ γένους), 17, II 1 (cited below), II 8 (cited below), Zon. XV 23. 27 (ὁ Ἑξαβούλιος ὁ πατρίκιος). In summer 813 he held the post of komes of the Teiche in Constantinople (τὴν τῶν τειχῶν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος): Theoph. Cont. I 8 (p. 17), cf. Genesius I 3 (τὴν τῶν τειχῶν κηδεμονίαν πεπιστευμένος). He was in Constantinople in summer 813 when the emperor Michael I (Michael 7) returned after the defeat at Bersinikia; he met the emperor near the city and urged him to be brave but when Michael 7 said that he had left the army under the command of Leo (Leo 15), whose loyalty he trusted, Ioannes 81 warned him that he had greatly misunderstood the man and should remove him with all speed; the news of Leo 15's revolt arrived very soon afterwards: Theoph. Cont. I 8 (p. 17), Scyl., p. 7, Genesius I 3. After the retirement of Michael 7 Ioannes 81 served under Leo 15. Later in 813 during the siege of Constantinople by the Bulgars it was Ioannes 81 who gave the signal for an attempt to assassinate the Bulgar leader Krum 1 during a parley with the emperor Leo V (Leo 15): Scriptor Incertus 343 (ὁ εἷς τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ... ὃς ἦν ὁ Ἑξαβούλης). In 820 he was one of the informers who told Leo 15 of the threatening statements being made by Michael 10; this led to the arrest of Michael 10 and the overthrow of Leo 15: Theoph. Cont. I 21 (p. 34), Genesius I 17 (a clever man and experienced, Ioannes 81 was one of Leo 15's trusted acquaintances). According to Genesius, Ioannes 81 Hexaboulios was logothetes of the Dromos when Leo 15 was murdered (Christmas Day 820) (Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐκ γένους Ἐξαβουλίων καὶ τοῦ δρόμου τοὺς λόγους τηνικαῦτα τιθείς); it was he who suggested where to find the keys to unlock the fetters on the newly proclaimed emperor Michael 10: Genesius II 1. In 823 he was a patrikios (Zon. XV 23. 27, cited above); he was present when the emperor Michael II (Michael 10) began to interrogate the captured rebel Thomas the Slav (Thomas 7) and intervened to stop further questioning when the emperor asked for the names of Thomas 7's supporters, arguing that it was wrong to believe an enemy's word against one's friends: Theoph. Cont. II 19 (p. 69), Zon. XV 23. 27. Ioannes Hexaboulios (Ioannes 81) was a patrikios (Ἰωάννης ἀνὴρ ἐπίκλησιν Ἐξαβούλιος, ἐν πατρικίοις τελῶν), who at the capture of Thomas the Slav (Thomas 7) prevented him from naming members of Michael 10's entourage as his supporters; the date was mid October: Genesius II 8. Said to have been a very shrewd judge of men: Theoph. Cont. I 8 (p. 17), 21 (p. 34). See Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, pp. 117, 159. See also Ioannes 399.

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