renowned as a statesman, a philosopher, and a divine, lived in the latter part of the 13th and in the beginning of the 14th century. He was probably a native of Constantinople, and belonged undoubtedly to one of the first families in the Greek empire. Enjoying the confidence and friendship of the emperor Andronicus Palaeologus the elder, he was successively appointed prefect of the Canieleus, keeper of the imperial seal-ring, and magnus stratopedarcha,
707
and his merits were so great, that as early as 1295. Andronicus asked the hand of his daughter, Irene, for one of his sons, John Palaeologus, to whom she was married in the same year. During the unfortunate civil contest between Andronicus the elder and his grandson, Andronicus the younger, Chumnus remained faithful to his imperial patron, and for some time defended the town of Thessalonica, of which he was praefect, against the troops of Andronicus the younger, whom he compelled to raise the siege. It seems that Chumnus had more influence and did more for the support of Andronicus the elder, than any other of the ministers of this unfortunate emperor. Towards the end of his life Chumnus took orders and retired into a convent, where he lived under the name of Nathanael, and occupied himself with literary pursuits. The time of his death has not been ascertained, but we must presume that he died after 1330, during the reign of Andronicus the younger.[W.P]