Leo Choirosphaktes

[4][5] Under Michael's successor, Basil I the Macedonian, Choirosphaktes rose to high state offices, being named mystikos (the first attested holder of the post) and kanikleios, both confidential positions in close proximity to the emperor.

Confident of a favourable settlement after this, Leo stood down the Byzantine forces, but Symeon, once relieved of pressure on two fronts, immediately imprisoned Choirosphaktes, and carried on negotiations with him in his cell.

Symeon secured much territory in Macedonia and Thrace, although Choirosphaktes also managed to recover a belt of about 30 fortresses around the Byzantine Empire's Adriatic stronghold of Dyrrhachium (historian Shaun Tougher, in her study of Leo VI's reign, considers the latter the result of a separate mission in circa 902–903).

Shortly after his return, circa 907, Choirosphaktes fell into disfavour and was exiled to a location called Petra, possibly indicating some involvement in the contemporary revolt of Andronikos Doukas.

He was also the subject of a vehement attack by the bishop Arethas of Caesarea in the latter's work Choirosphaktes or Wizard-hater (Μισογόης), where he was accused of being a "Hellene" (a term identical to "pagan").

[9][19] Throughout his works, Choirosphaktes praises the intellectual qualities of his heroes, especially Leo VI, draws parallels between the absolute rule of God and the imperial autocracy of Byzantium, and notably marginalizes the role of the Church, promoting even elements of the rejected iconoclasm.

Paul Magdalino has argued that he was advocating a new "ideology, indeed theology of rulership", where all power is concentrated in the hands of a "small secular elite of court philosophers", in direct contravention of the prevailing model of interrelation between Church and state.