Theophano (Byzantine Empress) - Revision history

Irlandos at 13:20, December 14, 2010

2010-12-14T13:20:20Z

Irlandos: /* Partnership with Nicephorus Phocas */

2006-03-04T21:37:27Z

Partnership with Nicephorus Phocas

Irlandos: /* Becoming Empress */

2005-11-03T22:26:12Z

Becoming Empress

Irlandos: /* Sources */

2005-11-03T22:25:07Z

Sources

Irlandos at 22:24, November 3, 2005

2005-11-03T22:24:14Z

New page

'''Theophano''' was a Byzantine empress. She was the wife of [[Romanus II]]; wife and murderer of [[Nicephorus Phocas]]; lover of [[John I Tzimisces ]]; the mother of [[Basil II ]] and [[Constantine VIII]].

==Becoming Empress==

This unusually beautiful but utterly amoral woman played an important role in the Byzantine history. She was an innkeeper's daughter and her real name was Anastaso. Around [[956]] , the emperor [[Romanus II]] fall in love with her and marries her, subsequently renaming her Theophano.

==Partnership with Nicephorus Phocas==

On March 15, 963, Emperor Romanus II unexpectedly died at the age of twenty-six. His sons [[Basil II]] and [[Constantine VIII]] were heirs and Theophano was named regent. However she realized that to secure power she needs to align her interest with the strongest general at the time, [[Nicephorus Phocas]]. As the army already proclaim him as a Emperor in Cesarea, Nicephorus entered Constantinople on August 15, broke the resistance of Joseph Bringas ( a eunuch palace official who had become Romanus' chief council) in bloody street fights, and on 16 August he was crowned in [[Hagia Sophia]]. After that he married Theophano. This way he got the legitimacy by connecting to the [[Byzantine_Emperors#Macedonian_dynasty|Macedonian dynasty]].

==Betrayal==
However, not too long after, she became lover to a young and brilliant general, John Tzimisces. They soon began to conspire against Nicephorus . She prepared the assasination and John and his friends implemented it on the night between 10 and 11 December 969. The emperor was now [[John I Tzimisces]] (969-976)

==Downfall==
But Theophano was badly miscalculated in the hope of becaming wife of the new ruler. Slained Nicephorus found his revenger in the Patriarch Polieukt, who was determined to punish the crime. He demanded John to repent, to punish the murderers (his helpers and friends), and to remove Theophano from the court. John was forced to submit to Patriarch’s requests. Only then he was allowed to enter in church and complete his crowning ceremony.

Theophano was sent to exile and was back in the capital not before her sons acceded to the throne.

==Sources==
History of the Byzantine State by Georgije Ostrogorski

[[Category:Byzantine people]]
[[Category:Macedonian dynasty]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ==Partnership with Nicephorus Phocas==
-On [[March 15]], [[963]], Emperor Romanus II unexpectedly died at the age of twenty-six. His sons [[Basil II]] and [[Constantine VIII]] were heirs and Theophano was named regent. However she realized that to secure power she needs to align her interest with the strongest general at the time, [[Nicephorus Phocas]]. As the army already proclaim him as a Emperor in Cesarea, Nicephorus entered Constantinople on August 15, broke the resistance of Joseph Bringas ( a eunuch palace official who had become Romanus' chief council)  in bloody street fights, and on 16 August he was crowned in [[Hagia Sophia]]. After that he married Theophano. This way he got the legitimacy by connecting to the [[Byzantine_Emperors#Macedonian_dynasty|Macedonian dynasty]].
+On [[March 15]], [[963]], Emperor Romanus II unexpectedly died at the age of twenty-six. His sons [[Basil II]] and [[Constantine VIII]] were heirs and Theophano was named regent. However she realized that to secure power she needs to align her interest with the strongest general at the time, [[Nicephorus Phocas]]. As the army already proclaim him as a Emperor in Cesarea, Nicephorus entered Constantinople on August 15, broke the resistance of Joseph Bringas ( a eunuch palace official who had become Romanus' chief council) in bloody street fights, and on [[16 August]] he was crowned in [[Hagia Sophia]]. After that he married Theophano. This way he got the legitimacy by connecting to the [[Byzantine_Emperors#Macedonian_dynasty|Macedonian dynasty]].
 ==Betrayal==
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==Downfall==
-But Theophano was badly miscalculated in the hope of becaming wife of the new ruler. Slained Nicephorus found his revenger in the Patriarch Polieukt, who was determined to punish the crime. He demanded John to repent, to punish the murderers (his helpers and friends), and to remove Theophano from the court. John was forced to submit to Patriarch’s requests. Only then he was allowed to enter in church and complete his crowning ceremony.
+But Theophano was badly miscalculated in the hope of becaming wife of the new ruler. Slain Nicephorus found his revenger in the Patriarch [[Polyeuctus of Constantinople|Polyeuctus]], who was determined to punish the crime. He demanded of John to repent, to punish the murderers (his helpers and friends), and to remove Theophano from the court. John was forced to submit to the Patriarch’s requests. Only then was he allowed to enter in church and complete his crowning ceremony.
-Theophano was sent to exile and was back in the capital not before her sons acceded to the throne.
+Theophano was sent into exile and was not back in the capital before her sons acceded to the throne.
 ==Sources==

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ==Becoming Empress==
-This unusually beautiful but utterly amoral woman played an important role in the Byzantine history. She was an innkeeper's daughter and her real name was Anastaso. Around [[956]] , the emperor [[Romanus II]] fall in love with her and marries her, subsequently renaming her Theophano.
+This unusually beautiful but utterly amoral woman played an important role in the Byzantine history. She was an innkeeper's daughter and her real name was Anastasia. Around [[956]] , the emperor [[Romanus II]] fell in love with her and married her, subsequently renaming her Theophano.
 ==Partnership with Nicephorus Phocas==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 History of the Byzantine State by Georgije Ostrogorski
-[[Category:Byzantine people]]
+[[Category:Byzantine emperors]]
 [[Category:Macedonian dynasty]]