 The 1660s chronicler and compiler Macarios Zaim sees him as entirely a "Greek foreigner" from Istanbul, while other authors believe that he was at least half-Greek, on his father's side.However, Leon viewed himself as the son of Ștefan IX Tomșa, who had served as Moldavian Prince in the 1610s and had died in exile in Istanbul.He therefore also regarded himself as brothers-in-law with the Moldavian boyar Pătrașco Boul, who had wed Ștefan's daughter, and whom he invited to Wallachia.