s/t: Translated and Adapted from the Greek
Emmanuel Rhoides (Ἐμμανουὴλ Ροΐδης, 6/28/1836–1/7/1904) was a Greek writer and journalist. He is considered one of the most illustrious and reviving spirits of the Greek letters of his time. In 1866 Rhoides published his notorious novel The Papess Joanne (Ή Πάπισσα Ίωάννα), an exploration of the legend of Pope Joan, a supposed female pope who reigned some time in the Middle Ages. Though a romantic novel, Rhoides asserted it contained conclusive evidence that Pope Joan truly existed and that the Catholic Church had been attempting to cover up the fact for centuries. The book was controversial, and led to his ex-communication from the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1954 the book was translated into English by Lawrence Durrell.