List of bishops and Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople

The following is a chronological list of bishops and Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople. The historical data on the first 25 bishops is limited with modern scholars debating their authenticity. The Foundation of the See by Andrew the Apostle is met with similar amounts of skepticism with scholars believing it to be a later tradition. The list is mostly based on the compilation made by Demetrius Kiminas, but there is no single "official" numbering of bishops. The official website of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has a list of holders but gives them no numeral.

Bishops of Byzantium (until 330 AD)

St. Andrew the Apostle (36–38), founder
St. Stachys (38–54)
St. Onesimus (54–68)
Polycarpus I (69–89)
Plutarch (89–105)
Sedecion (105–114)
Diogenes (114–129)
Eleutherius (129–136)
Felix (136–141)
Polycarpus II (141–144)
Athenodorus (144–148)
Euzois (148–154)
Laurence (154–166)
Alypius (166–169)
Pertinax (169–187)
Olympianus (187–198)
Marcus I (198–211)
Philadelphus (211–217)
Cyriacus I (217–230)
St. Castinus (230–237)
Eugenius I (237–242)
Titus (242–272)
Dometius (272–284)
Rufinus (284–293)
Probus (293–306)
St. Metrophanes (306–314), first bishop mentioned by contemporaneous sources
St. Alexander (314–330), first bishop of Constantinople

Archbishops/Patriarchs of Constantinople

The official title of the bishop became "archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and ecumenical patriarch" in the 6th century, but scholars often use the terms "archbishop" and "patriarch" for earlier bishops. The First Council of Constantinople (381) concluded that "the bishop of Constantinople, however, shall have the prerogative of honor after the bishop of Rome", while the Council of Chalcedon (451) concluded that "the bishop of New Rome shall enjoy the same privileges as the bishop of Old Rome". Modern scholars use the term "patriarch" after either 381 or 451. The chronology mostly follows Demetrius Kiminas (2009), See also the lists in the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (1991) and the Encyclopedia of the Byzantine Empire (2015).

330–450

{| class="wikitable"f

!Name

!Tenure

!Notes

|27

|St. Alexander

|style="text-align:center"|11 May 330 – August 337 (7 years and 3 months)

|First bishop of Constantinople

|28

|St. Paul I the Confessor

|style="text-align:center"|337 – 339 (2 years)

|Deposed and exiled (see Arian controversy)

|29

|Eusebius of Nicomeda

|style="text-align:center"|339 – 341 (2 years)

|Arian; baptised Constantine I in 337

|(28)

|Paul I

|style="text-align:center"|341 – 342 (1 year)

|1st restoration; deposed by the Arians

|30

|Macedonius I

|style="text-align:center"|342 – 346 (4 years)

|Arian and pneumatomachian. Deposed

|(28)

|Paul I

|style="text-align:center"|346 – 351 (5 years)

|2nd restoration; exiled and later killed

|(30)

|Macedonius I

|style="text-align:center"| September 351 – 27 January 360 (8 years, 4 months)

|Restored and deposed

|31

|Eudoxius of Antioch

|style="text-align:center"|27 January 360 – early 370 (10 years)

|Arian

|32

|Demophilus

|style="text-align:center"|Early 370 – 27 November 380 (10 years)

|Arian; deposed

|33

|Evagrius

|style="text-align:center"|Early 370 (a few months)

|In opposition to Demophilus; exiled

|34

|St. Gregory of Nazianzus

|style="text-align:center"| May 379 – June 381 (2 years)

|Bishop of the Orthodox; confirmed in 381.

|35

|Maximus I

|style="text-align:center"| January – May 380 (4 months approx.)

|In opposition to Gregory; annulled in 381

|36

|Nectarius

|style="text-align:center"|June 381 – 27 September 397 (16 years and 3 months)

|37

|St. John Chrysostom

|style="text-align:center"|26 September 398 – 20 June 404 (5 years, 9 months and 6 days)

|Exiled; died 14 September 407.

|38

|St. Arsacius

|style="text-align:center"|27 June 404 – 11 November 405 (1 year, 4 months and 15 days)

|39

|St. Atticus

|style="text-align:center"|March 406 – 10 October 425 (9 years and 7 months)

|40

|St. Sisinnius I

|style="text-align:center"|28 February 426 – 24 December 427 (1 year, 10 months and 25 days)

|41

|Nestorius

|style="text-align:center"|10 April 428 – 11 July 431 (3 years, 3 months and 1 day)

|Founder of Nestorianism; exiled

|42

|St. Maximianus

|style="text-align:center"|25 October 431 – 12 April 434 (2 years, 5 months and 18 days)

|43

|St. Proclus

|style="text-align:center"|13 April 434 – 12 July 446 (12 years and 3 months)

|44

|St. Flavian

|style="text-align:center"|July 446 – 11 August 449 (3 years and 1 month)

450–800

During the 16th session of the Council of Chalcedon (October–November 451), also known as the Fourth Ecumenical Council, a resolution was passed elevating the See of Constantinople to a status equal to Rome in ecclesiastical matters, granting it second place after Rome. The resolution was formally rejected by the Pope Leo I and the Western church; however, it was largely accepted in the East, becoming known as Canon 28. This canon would later become the foundation of the Pentarchy of patriarchates.

{| class="wikitable"

!Name

!Tenure

!Notes

|45

|St. Anatolius

| style="text-align:center" |November 449 – 3 July 458 (8 years and 8 months)

|46

|St. Gennadius

| style="text-align:center" |August 458 – 20 November 471 (13 years and 3 months)

|47

|Acacius

| style="text-align:center" |February 472 – 26 November 489 (17 years and 9 months)

|48

|Fravitta

| style="text-align:center" |December 488 – March 489 (3 months)

|49

|Euphemius

| style="text-align:center" | April 490 – June 496 (6 years and ~2 months)

|Deposed and exiled; died 515

|50

|St. Macedonius II

| style="text-align:center" |July 496 – 11 August 511 (15 years and 1 month)

|Deposed and exiled; died 516

|51

|Timothy I

|style="text-align:center"|October 511 – 5 April 518 (6 years and 6 months)

|52

|St. John of Cappadocia

| style="text-align:center" |17 April 518 – February 520 (1 year and 10 months)

|53

|Epiphanius

| style="text-align:center" |25 February 520 – 5 June 535 (15 years, 3 months and 10 days)

|54

|Anthimus I

| style="text-align:center" |June 535 – March 536 (9 months)

|Deposed, died in 548

|55

|St. Menas

| style="text-align:center" |13 March 536 – 25 August 552 (16 years, 5 months and 11 days)

|56

|St. Eutychius

| style="text-align:center" |August 552 – 22/31 January 565 (2 years and 5 months)

|Deposed

|57

|St. John Scholasticus

| style="text-align:center" |31 January 565 – 31 August 577 (12 years and 7 months)

|(56)

|Eutychius

|style="text-align:center"|3 October 577 – 5 April 582 (4 years, 6 months and 2 days)

|Restored

|58

|St. John IV Nesteutes

| style="text-align:center" |12 April 582 – 2 September 595 (13 years, 4 months and 10 days)

|First to use the title "Ecumenical"

|59

|St. Cyriacus II

| style="text-align:center" | February 596 – 29 October 606 (10 years and 8 months)

|60

|St. Thomas I

| style="text-align:center" |23 January 607 – 21 March 610 (3 years, 3 months less 2 days)

|61

|Sergius I

| style="text-align:center" |18 April 610 – 9 December 638 (28 years, 7 months and 21 days)

|62

|Pyrrhus

| style="text-align:center" |20 December 638 – 29 September 641 (2 years, 9 months and 9 days)

|Monothelite; deposed

|63

|Paul II

| style="text-align:center" |1 October 641 – 27 December 653 (12 years, 2 months and 26 days)

|(62)

|Pyrrhus

|style="text-align:center"|9 January – 1 June 654 (4 months and 23 days)

|Second term

|64

|Peter

| style="text-align:center" |9 June 654 – 12 October 666 (12 years, 4 months and 3 days)

|65

|St. Thomas II

| style="text-align:center" |17 April 667 – 15 November 669 (2 years, 7 months less 2 days)

|66

|St. John V

| style="text-align:center" |November 669 – August 675 (5 years and 9 months)

|67

|St. Constantine I

| style="text-align:center" |2 September 675 – 9 August 677 (1 year, 11 months and 7 days)

|68

|St. Theodore I

| style="text-align:center" | August 677 – November 679 (2 years and 3 months)

|Deposed; died in 687

|69

|St. George I

| style="text-align:center" | November 679 – January 686 (6 years and 2 months)

|Perhaps deposed

|(68)

|Theodore I

| style="text-align:center" | January 686 – 28 December 687 (1 year and 11 months months)

|70

|St. Paul III

| style="text-align:center" |January 688 – 20 August 693 (5 years and 7 months)

|71

|St. Callinicus I

| style="text-align:center" |August 693 – August 705 (12 years)

|Exiled to Rome; died in November 711

|72

|St. Kyros

| style="text-align:center" |September 705 – December 711 (6 years and 3 months)

|Deposed

|73

|John VI

| style="text-align:center" |December 712 – July 715 (15 years and 7 months)

|Monothelite

|74

|St. Germanus I

| style="text-align:center" |11 August 715 – 17 January 730 (2 years, 5 months and 6 days)

|Resigned; died in 742

|75

|Anastasius

| style="text-align:center" |22 January 730 – January 754 (14 years)

|Iconoclast (see Byzantine Iconoclasm)

|76

|Constantine II

| style="text-align:center" |8 August 754 – 30 August 766 (12 years and 22 days)

|Iconoclast; deposed, died on 7 October 767

|77

|Nicetas I

| style="text-align:center" |16 November 766 – 6 February 780 (13 years, 3 months and 20 days)

|Iconoclast

|78

|St. Paul IV the New

| style="text-align:center" |20 February 780 – 31 August 784 (4 years, 6 months and 11 days)

|79

|St. Tarasios

| style="text-align:center" |25 December 784 – 18 February 806 (21 years, 2 months and 24 days)

800–1060

{| class="wikitable"f

!Portrait

!Name

!Tenure

!Notes

|80

|80px

|St. Nicephorus I

| style="text-align:center" |12 April 806 – 13 March 815 (8 years, 11 months and 1 day)

|Exiled; died in 828, also an historian

|81

|99x99px

|Theodotus I Melissenos Kassiteras

| style="text-align:center" |1 April 815 – January 821 (5 years and 9 months)

|Iconoclast

|82

|100x100px

|Antony I Kassymatas

| style="text-align:center" | January 821 – January 837 (16 years)

|Iconoclast

|83

|107x107px

|John VII Morocharzanios Grammaticus

| style="text-align:center" |21 January 836 – 4 March 843 (7 years, 1 month, 14 days)

|Iconoclast; deposed

|84

|89x89px

|St. Methodius I

| style="text-align:center" |11 March 843 – 14 June 847 (4 years, 3 months and 3 days)

|85

|103x103px

|St. Ignatius

| style="text-align:center" |4 July 847 – 23 October 858 (11 years, 3 months and 20 days)

|Son of Emperor Michael I Rangabe; deposed

|86

|98x98px

|St. Photius I the Great

| style="text-align:center" |25 December 858 – 23 September 867 (8 years, 9 months less 2 days)

|Maternal nephew of Patriarch John VII and great-grandnephew of Patriarch Tarasios; deposed

|(85)

|103x103px

|Ignatius

| style="text-align:center" |23 November 867 – 23 October 877 (9 years and 11 months)

|Restored

|(86)

|98x98px

|Photius I

| style="text-align:center" |26 October 877 – 29/30 September 886 (8 years, 11 months and 4 days)

|Deposed; died c. 893

|87

|102x102px

|St. Stephen I the Macedonian

| style="text-align:center" |18 December 886 – 18 May 893 (7 years and 5 months)

|Son of Emperor Basil I; deposed

|88

|St. Antony II Kauleas

| style="text-align:center" |August 893 – 12 February 901 (7 years and 6 months)

|89

|108x108px

|St. Nicholas I Mystikos

| style="text-align:center" |1 March 901 – 1 February 907 (5 years and 11 months)

|Deposed

|90

|101x101px

|St. Euthymius I Syncellus

| style="text-align:center" |February 907 – 15 May 912 (5 years and 3 months)

|(89)

|108x108px

|Nicholas I

| style="text-align:center" |15 May 912 – 15 May 925 (13 years)

|Restored; died at the age of 73

|91

|97x97px

|St. Stephen II

| style="text-align:center" |29 June 925 – 18 July 927 (2 years and 19 days)

|92

|96x96px

|St. Tryphon

| style="text-align:center" |14 December 927 – August 931 (3 years and 8 months)

|Deposed

|93

|96x96px

|Theophylact Lekapenos

| style="text-align:center" |2 February 933 – 27 February 956 (23 years and 25 days)

|Son of Emperor Romanos I

|94

|101x101px

|St. Polyeuctus

| style="text-align:center" |3 April 956 – 5 February 970 (13 years, 10 months and 2 days)

|95

|Basil I Skamandrenos

| style="text-align:center" |13 February 970 – October 973 (3 years and 8 months)

|Exiled

|96

|96x96px

|Antony III Stoudites

| style="text-align:center" |December 973 – June 978 (4 years and 6 months)

|Resigned; died in 983

|97

|St. Nicholas II Chrysoberges

| style="text-align:center" |April 980 – 16 December 991 (11 years and 8 months)

|98

|Sisinnius II

| style="text-align:center" |12 April 996 – 24 August 998 (2 years, 4 months and 12 days)

|99

|St. Sergius II

| style="text-align:center" |June/July 1001 – July 1019 (18 years)

|Relative of Patriarch Photius I; elected after a 3-year interregnum

|100

|St. Eustathius

| style="text-align:center" |July 1019 – November 1025 (6 years and 4 months)

|101

|99x99px

|Alexius Stoudites

| style="text-align:center" |15 December 1025 – 20 February 1043 (17 years, 2 months and 5 days)

|102

|99x99px

|Michael I Cerularius

| style="text-align:center" |25 March 1043 – 2 November 1058 (15 years, 7 months and 8 days)

|Exiled; died on 21 January 1069

In 1054, the Eastern Orthodox Church cut ties to the Roman Catholic Church as a result of the Great East–West Schism.

thumb|220px|This page of the [[iconodule Chludov Psalter illustrates the line "They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink" with a picture of a soldier offering Christ vinegar on a sponge attached to a pole. Patriarch John VII of Constantinople is depicted rubbing out a painting of Christ with a similar sponge attached to a pole. John VII is caricatured, here as on other pages, with untidy straight hair sticking out in all directions, which was considered ridiculous by the Byzantines.]]

1060–1204

{| class="wikitable"

!Name

!Tenure

!Notes

|103

|St. Constantine III

| style="text-align:center" |2 February 1059 – 9/10 August 1063 (4 years, 6 months and 8 days)

|104

|St. John VIII Xiphilinos

| style="text-align:center" |1 January 1064 – 2 August 1075 (11 years, 7 months and 1 day)

|Deposed

|105

|St. Cosmas I

| style="text-align:center" |2 August 1075 – 8 May 1081 (5 years and 9 months)

|Resigned, died 1082

|106

|Eustratius II Garidas

| style="text-align:center" |8 May 1081 – July 1084 (3 years and 2 months)

|Resigned

|107

|Nicholas III Kyrdiniates Grammatikos

| style="text-align:center" |August 1084 – April 1111 (26 years and 8 months)

|108

|John IX

| style="text-align:center" |24 May 1111 – late April 1134 (22 years and 11 months)

|109

|St. Leo

|style="text-align:center"|May 1134 – 12 January 1143 (8 years and 8 months)

|110

|St. Michael II

| style="text-align:center" |July 1143 – March 1146 (2 years and 8 months)

|Resigned

|111

|Cosmas II

| style="text-align:center" |April 1146 – 26 February 1147 (10 months)

|Deposed

|112

|Nicholas IV

| style="text-align:center" |December 1147 – March/April 1151 (3 years and 3/4 months)

|Resigned, died in 1152

|113

|Theodotus II