". ▁Though ▁this ▁gene al ogy ▁has ▁been ▁accepted ▁by ▁some ▁histor ians ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁and ▁not ably ▁convinced ▁the ▁Pap acy ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁Foreign ▁Office , ▁it ▁origin ates ▁from ▁for ger ies ▁created ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁by ▁the ▁London - based ▁Greek ▁merchant ▁Dem et ri us ▁Rh od oc an ak is , ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁The od ora ' s ▁descend ants ▁was ▁Dr . ▁Const antine ▁Rh od oc an ak is ▁( a ▁real ▁historical ▁figure ), ▁who ▁Dem et ri us ▁claimed ▁was ▁his ▁ancest or . ▁Dem et ri us ' s ▁for ger ies ▁were ▁revealed ▁when ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁bi ography ▁on ▁Const antine ▁Rh od oc an ak is ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁where in ▁a ▁portrait ▁of ▁Const antine ▁was ▁exposed ▁to ▁actually ▁be ▁a ▁portrait ▁of ▁the ▁author , ▁dressed ▁in ▁a ▁cost ume , ▁and ▁his ▁gene al ogy ▁had ▁been ▁thoroughly ▁deb unk ed ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁ ▁The odore ' s ▁grave ▁was ▁accident ally ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 , ▁reve aling ▁an ▁o ak ▁coff in . ▁Inside , ▁his ▁body ▁was ▁discovered ▁in ▁a ▁good ▁enough ▁state ▁to ▁as certain ▁that ▁The odore ▁was ▁far ▁above ▁common ▁height ▁and ▁had ▁possessed ▁an ▁aqu il ine ▁nose ▁and ▁a ▁long ▁white ▁be ard ▁reaching ▁low ▁on ▁his ▁breast . ▁The ▁good