Irlandos at 16:41, November 24, 2005

2005-11-24T16:41:50Z

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'''Michael VII Ducas''' or '''Parapinakes''', was the eldest son of [[Constantine X]] Ducas and [[Eudocia Macrembolitissa]]. After a joint reign as [[Byzantine emperor]] with his brothers Andronicus and Constantine (sometimes numbered XI, but not to be confused with the actual [[Constantine XI]]) from [[1067]] to [[1071]], joined by the usurper [[Romanus IV]] in [[1068]], he was made sole emperor in [[1071]] through his uncle John Ducas after the defeat of Romanus IV by Alp Arslan.

The feebleness of Michael, whose chief interest lay in trifling academic pursuits, and the avarice of his ministers, was disastrous to the empire. As the result of anarchy in the army, the Byzantines lost Bari, their last possession in Italy, to the Normans in 1071, and were forced to cede a large strip of [[Asia Minor]] which they were unable to defend against the [[Seljuk Turks]] ([[1074]]).

These misfortunes, which were but partially retrieved by the suppression of a Bulgarian revolt ([[1073]]), caused widespread dissatisfaction. In [[1078]] two generals, [[Nicephorus Bryennius]] and [[Nicephorus III|Nicephorus Botaniates]], simultaneously revolted. Michael resigned the throne with hardly a struggle and retired into a monastery. His nickname ''Parapinakes'' ("minus a quarter") was due to his causing the price of wheat to rise, the same sum buying only three-fourths as much as before.

==Bibliography==
*[[Michael Psellus the Younger]]. ''Chronographia''.

[[Category:Doukid dynasty]]
[[Category:Byzantine emperors]]

Michael VII - Revision history

Irlandos at 16:41, November 24, 2005