John Kaloktenes

John Kaloktenes (; ) was a 12th-century Byzantine Metropolitan of Thebes. Known for his charitable works, he was declared a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, with the surname the New Merciful , and is commemorated on April 29.

Life John Kaloktenes was born in Constantinople to a well-to-do family. His parents, Constantine and Maria, are referred to in the sources as of noble descent and virtuous soul. The date of his birth is unknown, but since he was Metropolitan of Thebes in 1166, he must have been at least 30 years old, the minimum legal age for such an appointment. Kaloktenes is first attested as Metropolitan in the Church synod held at Constantinople in 1166, when he was likely also appointed to the position. Therefore, in 1169 Kaloktenes appointed bishops to these sees, provoking the displeasure of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos , as Kaloktenes had neglected informing the patriarchal synod. The synod at first declared Kaloktenes' appointments as uncanonical, but Kaloktenes' stauch and passionate defence of the necessity of his actions was eventually rewarded, as the synod relented and confirmed his appointments. He financed the diversion of the Isminos river to the Boeotian plain, thus ensuring the functioning of the twenty water mills that secured the local irrigation. As part of this work, he constructed an aqueduct with over twenty arches from 3 to 6 m high and 3.2 m wide, which survived until the early 20th century. From this, the river acquired the colloquial name Agiannis (Αγιάννης, "Saint John").