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Symeon’s early life is unknown, other than he was a [[monk]] from Trabizond.
After [[Marcus II Xylokaraves of Constantinople|Marcus II Xylokaraves]] was installed as [[patriarch]] in 1466, a faction of Christians from Trebizond approached the Ottoman Sultan Mechmet II with a monetary offer for his support in an opposition to Marcus, whom they proposed to remove from office in favor of Symeon from Trebizond. Although initially finding the offer comical, the Sultan considered the greed, stupidity, and ungodly manners of his Christian subjects and saw an opportunity for starting a policy of requiring monetary payments for installing new patriarchs to the throne of Constantinople as a regular custom.
After agreeing to support their false charge of simony, the Sultan sent the conspirators to elect a new patriarch. With a charge of simony, Marcus was tried before a synod, condemned, [[deposition|deposed]], and [[anathema|anathematized]]. Symeon was then duly elected, consecrated, and installed as patriarch. A few months later, the step-mother of the sultan, a Christian, sponsored a friend of hers, [[Dionysius I of Constantinople|Dionysius of Philippolis]], for the patriarchal throne. With the receipt of tribute money from his step-mother, the Sultan ordered deposition of Symeon.
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{{succession|
before=[[Marcus II Xylokaravesof Constantinople|Marcus II Xylokaraves]]|
title=[[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]]|
years=1466-1466 |