Aetios (eunuch)
Aetios or Aetius (
Biography
Early years and rivalry with Staurakios
Aetios first appears in 790, when he was a protospatharios and a confidant of Irene, then the Byzantine empress-mother and regent for her young son, Emperor Constantine VI (r. 780–797). In the autumn of that year, Irene tried to sideline her son and assume full rule over the Byzantine Empire. This, however, caused a mutiny by the army in favour of the young emperor. Constantine was installed as sole ruler, Irene confined to a palace in Constantinople, and her eunuch protégés, including Aetios, were exiled.[1][2]
Aetios was restored to his position, along with the other eunuchs, when Irene was recalled to power as a co-ruler in 792.[1][3] In August 797, Irene and her powerful eunuch minister Staurakios succeeded in overthrowing and blinding (and possibly also killing) Constantine, thus assuming governance of the state. However, the uncles of the deposed emperor, the surviving younger sons of Emperor Constantine V (r. 741–775), who had in the past been involved in plots against Irene, were still a potential threat. They were persuaded by sympathizers to seek refuge in the cathedral of Hagia Sophia, where the capital's populace would supposedly rally to them and declare one of them as emperor. No such support materialized; instead, Aetios managed to achieve their surrender, and they were exiled to Irene's home town of Athens.[1][4]
Irene now divided her favour between Staurakios, her old-established chief minister, and Aetios. This began a period of intense rivalry between the two and their respective supporters, as they raced to place their relatives in positions of power, so as to secure control of the Byzantine Empire after Irene's eventual death.
Staurakios in turn began to distribute bribes amongst the men and lower officers of the Scholai and
Supremacy and downfall of Aetios
The revolt was quickly and brutally subdued, and with his rival's death, Aetios stood supreme amongst Empress Irene's court. He likely succeeded Staurakios as
Aetios's plans for his brother's elevation faltered with the opposition of the other courtiers, who resented his influence and the insulting manner with which he treated them. Chief among them were Nikephoros, Irene's finance minister (logothetes tou genikou), but also Niketas Triphyllios, Aetios's former ally, and Leo Sarantapechos, a relative of the Byzantine empress. Fearing an imminent coup by Aetios, the conspirators, in the morning of October 31, 802, entered the Great Palace and acclaimed Nikephoros emperor. Irene was deposed and allowed to retire to a convent.[10]
It is not known what became of Aetios after that. He most likely lost power upon Nikephoros's accession, but he may be the
References
- ^ a b c d e f Kazhdan 1991, p. 30.
- ^ Garland 1999, p. 82.
- ^ Garland 1999, p. 83.
- ^ Garland 1999, pp. 86–87.
- ^ Kazhdan 1991, pp. 30, 1945.
- ^ a b c Garland 1999, p. 88.
- ^ a b Treadgold 1997, p. 423.
- ^ a b Garland 1999, p. 89.
- ^ Treadgold 1997, p. 424.
- ^ Garland 1999, pp. 89–90.
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-415-14688-3.
- ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
- ISBN 0-8047-2630-2.