, ▁because ▁he ▁died ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁of ▁d ys ent ery ; ▁the ▁Greek ▁amb ass adors ▁had ▁to ▁sail ▁home ▁empty - hand ed . ▁ ▁Mel iten i otes ▁was ▁an ▁enthus i astic ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Michael ' s ▁plans ▁for ▁union ▁with ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Rome ▁from ▁the ▁start ▁( un like ▁Bek k os , ▁who ▁initially ▁opposed ▁these ▁plans , ▁but ▁later ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ). ▁The ▁histor ians ▁George ▁P ach ym eres ▁and ▁George ▁Met och ites ▁represent ▁Mel iten i otes ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁back ers ▁and ▁public ists ▁of ▁Michael ' s ▁union ist ▁policy ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁Council ▁of ▁Ly ons ; ▁both ▁of ▁them ▁also ▁test ify ▁that ▁an ▁important ▁collabor ator ▁with ▁Mel iten i otes ▁during ▁those ▁years ▁was ▁George ▁of ▁Cy pr us , ▁who ▁later , ▁as ▁Patri arch ▁Gregory ▁II , ▁rein vent ed ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁sta unch ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁union . ▁Seven ▁early ▁letters ▁by ▁Gregory ▁the ▁C yp ri ot ▁are ▁addressed ▁to ▁Mel iten i otes , ▁test ifying ▁to ▁the ▁friendship ▁that ▁had ▁once ▁existed ▁between ▁the ▁men . ▁ ▁When ▁John ▁Bek k os ▁became ▁patri arch ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 2 7 5 , ▁Mel iten i otes ▁succeeded ▁him ▁as ▁chart oph y lax , ▁even ▁while ▁retain ing ▁his ▁positions ▁as ▁arch de acon ▁of ▁the ▁palace ▁cler gy ▁and ▁prote k d ik os