Ioannes 242, also known as Koxes, was a patrikios; in c. 861 in Constantinople on the orders, so he claimed, of the emperor, he detained the exiled patriarch Ignatios 1 near the Church of Gregory Theologos, where there stood a marble cross, and demanded that he divest himself of his patriarchal robes and assume the garb of a monk: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 517D (Ἰωάννης πατρίκιος, ὁ Κόξης λεγόμενος). He was subsequently patrikios and strategos of Hellas, in which post he was the addressee of three letters from Photios 1: Photius, Ep. 61 (between October 867 and 873), Ep. 94 (date unknown), Ep. 155 (date unknown) (I 106, 130, II 10 Laourdas-Westerink) (all addressed Ἰωάννῃ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ Ἑλλάδος). In one MS of the letters (MS G) the name of the addressee is given as Ιω Κοξ, i.e. Ἰωάννῃ Κόξῃ, establishing his identity with the individual named in the Vita Ignatii. Photios 1 complains in Epp. 61 and 94 that Ioannes 242 is no longer the good friend he used to be but hopes that their friendship can be restored. He had perhaps supported Photios 1 against the patriarch Ignatios 1, but then changed his allegiance. The content of one letter, Ep. 155, is theological. See also Ioannes 454.

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