 He and Theodora commissioned the archpriest Leo to go to Constantinople as ambassador and bring back as many Greek manuscripts as possible.Leo returned with the "Chronographia" of Theophanes, the "Antiquities of the Jews" by Flavius Josephus, "De Prodigiis" by Livy, the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and the "Historia Alexandri Magni".After Theodora's death, John took to reading and theorising, contemplation and translation into Latin, according to Leo.