Fravitta

So I've been browsing Wikipedia for most of the last two to three hours (From the Sumatra quake to the new Lira and the Euro with various things inbetween). Just a minute ago I hit "random page", and got one that made me just laugh.

According to Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos, on the death of Acacius, the emperor Zeno placed on the altar of the great church of Constantinople two sheets of paper. On one was written a prayer that God would send an angel to inscribe on the blank sheet the name of him whom He wished to be the patriarch. A fast of 40 days with prayer was ordered. The church was given into the custody of a confidential eunuch, the imperial chamberlain, and the imperial seal set on the casket containing the papers.

Fravitta was a presbyter in charge of the suburban church of Saint Thecla. Fueled with ambition, he paid the eunuch large sums, and promised him more, to write his name on the blank sheet. At the end of the 40 days the casket was opened; the name of Fravitta was found, and he was enthroned amid universal acclamations. Within 4 months he died, and the powerful eunuch was pressing his executors for the promised gold. They revealed the odious tale to the emperor. The forger was turned out of all his employments and driven from the city. The emperor Zeno, ashamed of his failure, entrusted the election of the new patriarch to the clergy.

>> Patriarch Fravitta of Constantinople [Wikipedia]

Goes to show how people can be easily fooled at times by their own beliefs and superstitions.

What was greater was before I was through the first paragraph I knew that someone would have his name written on it since it'd be believed that an "angel" wrote it there. It was enjoyably predictable. (even if it is not a completely true story)