The most important of the theological works of Photius is the Amphilochian Questions^913
— so called because these questions had been asked by his friend, Amphilochius, metropolitan of
Lyzikus. The work consists of three hundred and twenty-four discussions, mostly in biblical exegesis,
but also dogmatical, philosophical, mythological, grammatical, historical, medical, and scientific.
Like the other works of Photius it displays rare learning and ability. It was composed during his
first exile, and contains many complaints of lack of books and excerpts. It has no plan, is very
disjointed, unequal, and evidently was written at different times. Many of the answers are taken
literally from the works of others. The same question is sometimes repeatedly discussed in different
ways.^914
Although it is doubtful whether Photius composed a complete commentary on any book of
the Old Testament, it is very likely that he wrote on the Gospels and on Romans, Corinthians and
Hebrews, since in the printed and unprinted catenae upon these books there are found many citations
of Photius.^915 No such commentary as a unit, however, now exists.
Two canonical works are attributed to Photius, "A Collection of Canons" and "A Collection
of Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws."^916 To these some add a third. The second of these works, the
Nomocanon, is authoritative on canonical law in the Greek Church.^917 The word "Nomocanon"
itself is the Greek name for a combination of ecclesiastical laws (kanovne") and secular, especially
imperial, law (novmoi). Photius made such a collection in 883, on the basis of earlier collections.
It contains (1) the canons of the seven universally accepted oecumenical councils (325–787), of
the Trullan council of 692 (Quinisexta), the synods of 861 and 879; and (2) the laws of Justinian
relative to the Greek Church. Photius was not only a collector of canonical laws, but also a legislator
and commentator. The canons of the councils held by him in 861 and 879, and his canonical letters
or decretals had a great and permanent influence upon Greek canonical law. The Nomocanon was
enlarged and commented on by Balsamon in the twelfth century, and is usually published in
connection with these commentaries. It is used in the orthodox church of Russia under the name
Kormczia Kniga, i.e., "The Book for the Pilot." As in his other works, he builded upon the
foundations of his predecessors.
The historical and dogmatico-polemical writings of Photius may be divided into two classes,
those against the Paulicians or Manichaeans, and those against the Roman Church. In the first class
are four books which bear in the editions the general title "Against the new Manichaeans."^918 The
first is a history of the old and new Manichaeans, written during Photius’ first patriarchate, and
apparently largely borrowed from a contemporary author; the remaining three are polemical treatises
(^913) Migne, CI. col. 45-1172.
(^914) Hergenröther (vol. iii., pp. 31 sqq. ) tells at length the curious story of the singular way in which the Amphilochia has
gradually come to the knowledge of modern scholars.
(^915) Collected in Migne, l.c. col. 1189-1253.
(^916) Commonly called Syntagma Canonum, Migne, CIV. col. 441-976, and Nomocanon, ibid. col. 976-1217.
(^917) The Nomocanon is minutely discussed by Hergenröther, l.c. iii. 92-128. See also F. A. Biener,Geschichte der Novellen
Justinians, Berlin, 1824; and De Collectionibus canonum ecclesiae Graecae.Schediasma litterarium. Berlin, 1827. Card. J. B.
Pitra, Juris eccles. Graec. historia et monumenta. Rome, 1868. Hergenröther,Griech. Kirchenrecht bis zum Ende, des 9ten
Jahrhunderts. Mainz, 1870.
(^918) Διήγησις περὶ τη̑ς τω̑ν νεοφάντων Μανιχαίων ἀναβλαστήσεως, in Migne, CII. col. 16-264. Cf. Hergenröther, l.c.
iii. 143-153.