▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Ly ons ▁between ▁the ▁Greek ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁He ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁arch de a cons ▁of ▁Patri arch ▁John ▁XI ▁Bek k os ▁who , ▁together ▁with ▁him , ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁and ▁ex iled ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁break down ▁of ▁the ▁union ; ▁he ▁remained ▁under ▁house ▁arrest ▁until ▁his ▁death . ▁ ▁Life ▁Const antine ▁Mel iten i otes ' ▁surname ▁implies ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁ancest ral ▁roots ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Mel it ene ▁in ▁sout heast ▁An atol ia . ▁No ▁precise ▁information ▁exists ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁place ▁or ▁date ▁of ▁his ▁birth , ▁but ▁he ▁speak s ▁of ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁native ▁By z antine , ▁so ▁one ▁may ▁assume ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁either ▁in ▁Constantin ople ▁or ▁in ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁N ica ea ▁on ▁the ▁Asian ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Bos por us . ▁One ▁recent ▁study ▁would ▁date ▁Mel iten i otes ' ▁birth ▁to ▁between ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 2 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 2 5 0 ; ▁another ▁study ▁suggests ▁that ▁he ▁had , ▁as ▁a ▁teacher , ▁George ▁Ak ropol ites . ▁Const antine ▁Mel iten i otes ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁fairly ▁prominent ▁By z antine ▁family ; ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁men ▁bearing ▁his ▁surname ▁are ▁known ▁from ▁late ▁By z ant ium , ▁including ▁the ▁four teenth - century ▁writer ▁The odore ▁Mel iten i otes ▁who , ▁like ▁Const antine ,