A Greek Life of St. Nicon the Armenian was found in the Sforza library, and translated into Latin by the Jesuit Sirmond, for the use of Cardinal Baronius. This contemporary legend casts a ray of light on Crete and Peloponnesus in the 10th century. He found the newly-recovered island,
foedis detestandae Agarenorum
superstitionis vestigiis adhuc plenam ac refertam .... but
the victorious missionary, perhaps with some carnal aid, ad
baptismum omnes veraeque fidei disciplinam pepulit.
Ecclesiis per totam insulam aedificatis etc. (Annal.
Eccles. A.D. 961).