Theodora (daughter of Constantine VII)
| Theodora | |
|---|---|
Empress of the Byzantine Empire | |
| Tenure | 971–976? |
| Born | c. 946 |
| Died | after 971 |
| Spouse | John I Tzimiskes |
| Issue | Theophano |
| Father | Constantine VII |
| Mother | Helena Lekapene |
Theodora (
Byzantine empress as the second wife of John I Tzimiskes.[1][2][3] She was a daughter of Constantine VII and Helena Lekapene. Her maternal grandparents were Romanos I Lekapenos and Theodora
.
The work nunnery built by their maternal grandfather.
While the sisters were following their monastic lives, changes were occurring in the imperial throne. Romanos II died on 15 March 963. His co-rulers and successors were his underage sons
John Tzimiskes
, Nikephoros' nephew, organized his assassination on the night of 10–11 December 969.
John became senior Emperor in place of Nikephoros. Theophano was exiled to the island of
Prinkipos. His previous marriage to Maria Skeleraina had solidified an alliance with general Bardas Skleros, but the loyalties of the rest of the Byzantine Empire were not as secure. John rectified the situation by releasing Theodora from Myrelaion and arranging their marriage. According to Leo the Deacon, the marriage occurred in November 971. The Cambridge Medieval History. Vol. IV, The Byzantine Empire (1966) by Joan M. Hussey attributes to this marriage the birth of a daughter, Theophano Kourkouas
.
John Tzimiskes died on 10 January 976. Whether Theodora was still alive is not mentioned in medieval sources.
Notes
- ^ Elena N. Boeck (2015). Imagining the Byzantine Past: The Perception of History in the Illustrated Manuscripts of Skylitzes and Manasses. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Jonathan Harris (2015). The Lost World of Byzantium. Yale University Press.
- ^ Lynda Garland (2006). Byzantine Women: Varieties of Experience 800-1200.
External links
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| National | |
