- Katılım
- 4 Şub 2022
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By April 1042 the grand Macedonian dynasty which had ruled in prosperity for almost two centuries was crumbling. The last great Emperor of this dynasty, Basil II, had passed away in 1025, leaving no children; his brother and nominal co-Emperor, the useless Constantine VIII, died soon after; he left three daughters, of whom two had spent most of their lives in relative obscurity in nunneries or the imperial gynaeceum [the Palace women's quarters], while the third, Zoe, had wielded power as Empress since her father's death, but had used this power to follow her own desires. In doing so she set the history of her line down a path of intrigue, hatred and lust, on which one of the most fascinating stopping points was the unprecedented reign of two Empresses - Zoe and her younger sister Theodora, elderly, hateful of each other and of conflicting personalities, but forced into joint power by the people, who had great affection for the dynasty of which they were the last remnants. In the seven and a half weeks of their rule, the Mint of Constantinople issued one type of coin - the nomisma, given precedence due to its prestige. This type, which stands out as one of the most sought-after rarities of Byzantine coinage, is the only numismatic record of this unusual period of Byzantine history, and of great iconographic and theological interest.
By 1033, Zoe's marriage to Romanos III, hastily arranged by her father to secure the succession after Theodora had refused to marry him, was falling apart. At this time, one of Romanos' chief courtiers, John the Eunuch, the son of a peasant, arranged for his brother Michael to join the court, and Zoe became infatuated with his exceptional beauty. They began an affair which led to the assassination of Romanos in his bath on their orders in 1034, and Michael was crowned Michael IV on the very same day, following a quick marriage. However, he suffered from epilepsy and oedema, and his reign lasted only until his death on the 10th December 1041, shortly after which his nephew was crowned as Michael V, with Zoe's [most likely forced] approval. His reign turned out to be short, for soon after his accession his disgraceful conduct to Zoe, a member of the well-liked Macedonian dynasty, caused a popular rebellion in Constantinople, and the joint rule of both Zoë and her sister Theodora was demanded.
To achieve this, Zoe was returned to the city from her exile in a monastery, and a delegation was sent to the convent of Petrion to retrieve Theodora. She was unwilling to leave the convent and the life she was living, but after seeking refuge in the chapel was removed by force to Constantinople, where she was proclaimed Empress with Zoe in the Hagia Sophia. The palace was assaulted, and Michael V was overthrown. Thus began the unprecedented rule of two Empresses, breaking with the traditional Byzantine custom of secluding female members of the imperial family in the gynaeceum.
Theodora's relocation from the convent would have been most unwelcome to Zoe, for it was she who had driven her there in the first place. Zoe, in her enmity to Theodora, had accused her of conspiring to usurp the throne with two different men in 1030 and 1031, and she was removed to the convent in Petrion, where, during a later visit from Zoe, she was made to take Holy Orders. Their continuing hatred and suspicion of each other characterised their joint rule. While the epicurean Zoe had no real interest in imperial administration - in comparison to the earnest Theodora, who seems to have applied herself with energy and force to the role - she was jealous of her sister's capacity for and growing influence in the position, and would not allow her to engage in official activities without her. The ill-feeling between the two increased with the development of factions supporting either woman, and ultimately Zoe put an end to her sister's influence by taking a new husband - an old lover, Constantine Monomachos, crowned Constantine IX, onto whom the overarching power fell, taking it from the hands of Theodora and allying it more closely to his wife, Zoe, who was relegated down the hierarchy less far than her sister.
By 1033, Zoe's marriage to Romanos III, hastily arranged by her father to secure the succession after Theodora had refused to marry him, was falling apart. At this time, one of Romanos' chief courtiers, John the Eunuch, the son of a peasant, arranged for his brother Michael to join the court, and Zoe became infatuated with his exceptional beauty. They began an affair which led to the assassination of Romanos in his bath on their orders in 1034, and Michael was crowned Michael IV on the very same day, following a quick marriage. However, he suffered from epilepsy and oedema, and his reign lasted only until his death on the 10th December 1041, shortly after which his nephew was crowned as Michael V, with Zoe's [most likely forced] approval. His reign turned out to be short, for soon after his accession his disgraceful conduct to Zoe, a member of the well-liked Macedonian dynasty, caused a popular rebellion in Constantinople, and the joint rule of both Zoë and her sister Theodora was demanded.
To achieve this, Zoe was returned to the city from her exile in a monastery, and a delegation was sent to the convent of Petrion to retrieve Theodora. She was unwilling to leave the convent and the life she was living, but after seeking refuge in the chapel was removed by force to Constantinople, where she was proclaimed Empress with Zoe in the Hagia Sophia. The palace was assaulted, and Michael V was overthrown. Thus began the unprecedented rule of two Empresses, breaking with the traditional Byzantine custom of secluding female members of the imperial family in the gynaeceum.
Theodora's relocation from the convent would have been most unwelcome to Zoe, for it was she who had driven her there in the first place. Zoe, in her enmity to Theodora, had accused her of conspiring to usurp the throne with two different men in 1030 and 1031, and she was removed to the convent in Petrion, where, during a later visit from Zoe, she was made to take Holy Orders. Their continuing hatred and suspicion of each other characterised their joint rule. While the epicurean Zoe had no real interest in imperial administration - in comparison to the earnest Theodora, who seems to have applied herself with energy and force to the role - she was jealous of her sister's capacity for and growing influence in the position, and would not allow her to engage in official activities without her. The ill-feeling between the two increased with the development of factions supporting either woman, and ultimately Zoe put an end to her sister's influence by taking a new husband - an old lover, Constantine Monomachos, crowned Constantine IX, onto whom the overarching power fell, taking it from the hands of Theodora and allying it more closely to his wife, Zoe, who was relegated down the hierarchy less far than her sister.