Once Leo became master of all he surveyed he cared little or nothing for any of the affairs of state. He chafed with anger at the memory of the recent intrigue which Santabarenos had contrived against him and decided to take immediate vengeance. First he brought up some not unreasonable accusations to make it seem as though there were good grounds for proceeding to the attack and also to remove certain obstacles from his path. He was well aware that he could do no serious harm to Santabarenos as long as Photios was occupying the patriarchal throne, rightly suspecting that Photios would protect him and stand by him lest he be the object of any despotic action. So the word was now put around that Photios had been eyeing the imperial throne for one of his relations and had conspired with Santabarenos; but they could both see that there was no future to their project unless Leo was first put out of the way; that was why they brought the false charge against him mentioned above. Since he knew this, [Leo’s] first action was to remove [Photios] from the patriarchal throne. He promptly despatched the magister Andrew the stratelates together with the magister John Hagiopolites (who was logothete of the drome) to the Great Church. Their orders were to go up into the ambo of the church and to read out the charges against the patriarch Photios for all to hear. They were then to drag him from the throne and exile him to the monastery of Harmonianoi. Not wasting a moment, the emperor appointed Stephen the synkellos (his own brother) patriarch. [172] Because [the metropolitan of] Herakleia had departed this life, [Stephen] was consecrated by Theophanes the protothronos. [The emperor] then sent [men] in all speed to Euchaita where the above-mentioned Theodore Santabarenos was presiding over the aforementioned church, with orders to bring that man to him.