Eudokia Makrembolitissa

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Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Romanos IV
)
Bornc. 1030
Diedafter 1081
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1049; died 1067)​
​
​
(m. 1068; died 1072)​
Issueby Constantine X
Michael VII Doukas
A son
Anne Doukaina
Andronikos Doukas
Theodora Doukaina
Konstantios Doukas
Zoe Doukaina
by Romanos IV
Nikephoros Diogenes
Leo Diogenes
DynastyDoukid
ReligionOrthodox

Eudokia Makrembolitissa

Michael VII in 1067, and resigned her regency by marriage to Romanos IV Diogenes
. When he was deposed in 1071 she resumed the regency for her sons, but was soon forced to resign again.

Because she essentially ruled in her own right during her sole regencies and retained the title of empress, several modern scholars consider Eudokia to have been

empress regnant
in 1067 and some also in 1071.

Background and early life

Eudokia Makrembolitissa was the daughter of John Makrembolites and a niece of

Michael VII, an unnamed son who died young, Andronikos Doukas, Anna Doukaina and Theodora Doukaina.[11]

Empress

John VIII Xiphilinos as co-regents. Eudokia was meant to only take care of Michael and Konstantios, but Constantine knew that she had larger ambitions.[13] Constantine died the next year, on 23 May 1067.[12]

In 1825,

empress regnant who actually ruled in her own right, rather than just a regent.[3][15][16] According to the contemporary Michael Psellos, Eudokia "succeeded [Constantine X] as supreme ruler, she did not hand over the government to others... she assumed control of the whole administration in person.[17] Michael VII was "already long past his boyhood" by this time, but nevertheless "left the whole administration to his mother".[18] Some authors argue that he had some type of mental disability.[19]

Her status as a ruler is reflected in her coinage and public iconography.[20] For example, she sometimes appeared on silver and copper coins without her sons, which was very unusual. One inscription on a silver reliquary calls her "Great Empress of the Romans" (megalē basilis tōn Romaiōn), suggesting that she had a higher status than her sons (who were only basileus).[20] Some inscriptions of 1067 ascribe the masculine title Emperor to her. On a tetarteron probably of late 1067, the inscription reads 'Eudokia and Michael, emperors', and on a seal, probably dated between May and December 1067, the inscription reads 'Eudokia, Michael and Constantios, emperors of the Romaioi'.[21]

Eudokia had sworn on Constantine's deathbed not to remarry, and she even made the oath in the presence of patriarch

magistros and stratelates in preparation for his coronation.[23] However, they still needed the approval of the patriarch of Constantinople. According to some sources, Eudokia tricked John VIII into believing that she would marry one of his brothers. John VIII accepted the offer and canceled the oath.[23][25][4] The marriage and imperial coronation took place on 1 January 1068, to the surprise of the patriarch and other officials.[26][25]

15th-century portrait of Eudokia, from the Mutinensis gr. 122

With her new husband's assistance, Eudokia was able to dispel the impending danger. She had two sons with Romanos IV,

despotes and reserve the title basileus for Eudokia.[26][27] According to Michael Psellos, she explicitly referred to him as "a subject, not a ruler."[28] Romanos IV, however, soon started to act independently of her, even starting to resent her.[29] Discontent was also shared by a faction of the Senate and army, with John Doukas at the head.[30]

On 26 August 1071, Romanos IV faced Alp Arslan, sultan of the Seljuk Empire, at the decisive Battle of Manzikert.[31][32] The Byzantine army was destroyed and the emperor himself was captured, partly because of the treachery of general Andronikos, John Doukas's son.[33][27][34] The news reached Constantinople a few days later, causing much shock in the populace.[35] On 1 October the Senate declared Romanos IV deposed and proclaimed Eudokia and Michael VII as joint rulers.[36][33] Some sources state that Eudokia was already planning on deposing her husband, but this is very unlikely.[37] The new regime only lasted one month,[b] when Eudokia's opposition became strong enough to depose her, especially after news of Romanos release arrived at the capital.[31][33] Michael VII was then proclaimed sole autokrator by John Doukas, who forced Eudokia to retire to a monastery as a nun.[31][4][38]

Later life

Eudokia continued to be influential even after her exile in 1071.[38] Soon after her deposition, she allied with Anna Dalassene, a sister-in-law of Isaac I Komnenos who had also been exiled,[38] to restore Romanos IV and depose John Doukas.[39] However, Doukas soon fell from grace as a result of the schemes of eunuch Nikephoritzes, who was close to the Komnenos family.[39] Eudokia later performed a memorable funeral and burial for Romanos IV, who died on 4 August 1072.[37][4]

After Michael VII was deposed in 1078 by Nikephoros III Botaneiates, Eudokia was recalled to Constantinople by the new emperor, who offered to marry her. This plan did not come to pass, mainly due to the opposition of John Doukas, who returned to power after Nikephoritzes's exile. However, Nikephoros still sent her many rewards and gifts of gratitude.[40][4][3] Her date of death is unknown, but it was sometime after the accession of Alexios I Komnenos in 1081.[40] Her last known action is the adoption of one of the cousins of Patriarch Michael I Cerularius.[4]

Attributed to Eudokia is a dictionary of history and mythology, called Ἰωνιά (i.e., Collection or Bed of Violets). It is prefaced by an address to her husband, Romanos Diogenes, and the work is described as "a collection of genealogies of gods, heroes, and heroines, of their metamorphoses, and of the fables and stories respecting them found in the ancients; containing also notices of various philosophers".

Diogenes Laërtius and the Suda.[42]

Issue

By her first husband, Eudokia had seven children, four sons and three daughters:[44]

By her second husband, she had two sons, most likely twins:[45]

  • Alexios I Comnenus
    on charges of treason.
  • Leo Diogenes, died in battle.

Notes

  1. ^ Previously thought to be Irene Doukaina. The red hair seems to be a later addition.[1][2]
  2. ^ One chronicle states that their joint rule began on 1 October and that it lasted "one month". Schreiner dates Eudokia's fall to 1 November.[36]
  3. Basilissa of the Romans."[43]

References

  1. ^ Sághy & Robert 2019, p. 162.
  2. ^ a b Spatharakis 1976, pp. 27–34.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g ODB, p. 739.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j PBW, Eudokia 1.
  5. ^ a b Garland 2002, p. 168.
  6. ^ ODB, p. 1272, 1361.
  7. ^ Treadgold 1997, p. 608.
  8. ^ a b Chisholm 1911.
  9. ^ ODB, p. 504.
  10. ^ Garland 2002, pp. 168–169.
  11. ^ a b c Grierson 1973, p. 779.
  12. ^ a b c Grierson 1973, p. 764.
  13. ^ Garland 2002, p. 169.
  14. ^ Elton, Charles Abraham (1825). A History of the Roman Emperors: From the Accession of Augustus to the Fall of the Last Constantine. Baldwin, Cradock and Joy. p. 304.
  15. ^ McLachlan 2004, p. 236.
  16. ^ Haldon 2005, p. 176.
  17. ^ Psellos, Eudocia 1.
  18. ^ Psellos, Eudocia 2.
  19. ^ ODB, p. 1366.
  20. ^ a b Garland 2002, pp. 170−172.
  21. ^ Garland 2002, p. 172.
  22. ^ a b Finlay 1877, p. 24.
  23. ^ a b c Garland 2002, p. 173.
  24. ^ Hill 2014, p. 63.
  25. ^ a b Finlay 1877, p. 25.
  26. ^ a b Garland 2002, pp. 173−174.
  27. ^ a b Hill 2014, p. 64.
  28. ^ Psellos, Eudocia 8.
  29. ^ Psellos, Romanos 10.
  30. ^ Finlay 1877, pp. 24–25.
  31. ^ a b c Grierson 1973, p. 780.
  32. ^ Schreiner 1975, p. 170.
  33. ^ a b c Garland 2002, p. 176.
  34. ^ Finlay 1877, pp. 31–33.
  35. ^ Psellos, Romanos 23.
  36. ^ a b Schreiner 1975, p. 161.
  37. ^ a b Vratimos 2003.
  38. ^ a b c Garland 2002, p. 177.
  39. ^ a b Hill 2014, p. 65.
  40. ^ a b Garland 2002, p. 178.
  41. ^ Smith 1870.
  42. ^ a b Dorandi 2013.
  43. ^ a b Evans & Wixom 1997, pp. 77–78.
  44. ISBN 978-0-14-011448-5
    .
  45. ISBN 978-1-107-00962-2
    .

Bibliography

Primary sources

Secondary sources

Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Constantine X
 Byzantine empress regnant
23 May – 31 December 1067 		Succeeded by
Romanos IV
Royal titles
Preceded by
Byzantine empress consort

23 November 1059 – 23 May 1067 and 1 January 1068 – 1 October 1071 		Succeeded by
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