Macedonian dynasty

This article is about the Byzantine dynasty. For the dynasties of ancient Macedon, see List of ancient Macedonians.

The Macedonian dynasty (Greek: Μακεδονική Δυναστεία) ruled the Byzantine Empire from 867 to 1056, following the Amorian dynasty. During this period, the Byzantine state reached its greatest extent since the Early Muslim conquests, and the Macedonian Renaissance in letters and arts began. The dynasty was named after its founder, Basil I the Macedonian who came from the theme of Macedonia.

Basil I, as depicted in the 12th century Madrid Skylitzes.

Origins

See also: Basil I § From peasant to emperor

The dynasty's ethnic origin is unknown, and has been a subject of debate. During Basil's reign, an elaborate genealogy was produced that purported that his ancestors were not mere peasants, as everyone believed, but descendants of the Arsacid (Arshakuni) kings of Armenia, Alexander the Great and also of Constantine the Great. Some Persian writers such as Hamza al-Isfahani or Al-Tabari, called Basil a Saqlabi, an ethnogeographic term that usually denoted the Slavs, but it can be interpreted as a generic term encompassing the inhabitants of the region between Constantinople and Bulgaria.

Thus, claims have been made for the dynasty's founder (Basil I) being of Armenian, Slavonic, or "Armeno-Slavonic" descent from his paternal side.

The author of the only dedicated biography of Basil I in English has concluded that it is impossible to be certain what the ethnic origins of the emperor were, though Basil was definitely reliant on the support of Armenians in prominent positions within the Byzantine Empire.

List of rulers

• Basil I the Macedonian (Βασίλειος Α') (811–886, ruled 867–886) – married Eudokia Ingerina, mistress of Michael III; died in hunting accident
• Leo VI the Wise (Λέων Ϛ') (866–912, ruled 886–912) – son of Eudokia Ingerina, legal son and heir of Basil I; possibly the natural son of Michael III; created church crisis with his fourth marriage—Zoe Karbonopsina, who took over as regent for their son, Constantine VII, in 914 and ruled the empire until 919
• Alexander (Αλέξανδρος) (870–913, ruled 912–913) – son of Basil I, regent for nephew
• Constantine VII the Purple-born (Κωνσταντῖνος Ζ') (905–959, ruled 913–920 and 945-959) – son of Leo VI and Zoe Karbonopsina; married Helena, daughter of Romanos Lekapenos
• Romanos I Lekapenos (Ρωμανός A') (c. 870–948, ruled 920–944) – staged a successful coup in 919 and became senior emperor in 920; deposed in 944 and exiled
• Romanos II the Purple-born (Ρωμανός Β') (938–963, ruled 959–963) – son of Constantine VII
• Nikephoros II Phokas (Νικηφόρος Β' Φωκᾶς) (912–969, ruled 963–969) – successful general, married Romanos II's widow, regent for Basil; assassinated (Origin: Cappadocian)
• John I Tzimiskes (Ιωάννης Α')(925-976, ruled 969–976) – successful general, brother-in-law of Romanos II, lover of Nikephoros's wife but banned from marriage, regent for Basil II and Constantine VIII
• Basil II (Βασίλειος Β') the Bulgar-slayer (958–1025, ruled 976–1025) – son of Romanos II
• Constantine VIII (Κωνσταντῖνος Η') (960-1028, ruled 1025–1028) – son of Romanos II; silent co-emperor with Basil II, sole emperor after his brother's death
• Zoe (Ζωή) (c. 978–1050, ruled 1028–1050) – daughter of Constantine VIII
• Romanos III Argyros (Ρωμανός Γ') (968–1034, ruled 1028–1034) – eparch of Constantinople; Zoe's first husband, arranged by Constantine VIII; murdered
• Michael IV the Paphlagonian (Μιχαήλ Δ') (1010–1041, ruled 1034–1041) – Zoe's second husband
• Michael V the Caulker (Μιχαήλ Ε') (1015–1042, ruled 1041–1042) – Michael IV's nephew, Zoe's adopted son
• Theodora (Θεοδώρα) (980–1056, ruled 1042) – daughter of Constantine VIII, co-empress with Zoe
• Constantine IX Monomachos (Κωνσταντῖνος Θ') (1000–1055, ruled 1042–1055) – Zoe's third husband
• Theodora (Θεοδώρα) (ruled 1055–1056) – restored

Non-dynastic

• Michael VI (Μιχαήλ Ϛ') (ruled 1056–1057) – chosen by Theodora; deposed and entered monastery

Family tree

• Basil I the Macedonian (813–886)
  • from his marriage to Maria:
    • Constantine (865–878), co-emperor with his father
    • Anastasia
  • from his marriage to empress Eudokia Ingerina:
    • Leo VI the Wise (866–912)
      • Eudokia (died 892)
      • Anna, betrothed and married to Louis the Blind
      • Basil (died 900)
      • Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (905–959), married Helena Lekapene, daughter of Romanos I Lekapenos
        • Romanos II (938–963) married to Bertha, daughter of Hugh of Italy king of Italy
          • childless by his marriage to Bertha of Italy
          • from his marriage to Theophano:
            • Basil II the Bulgar-Slayer (957–1025)
            • Constantine VIII (961–1028) married Helena, daughter of Alypius
              • Eudokia
              • Zoe (978–1050), married:
                1. Romanos III Argyros (ca. 968–1034)
                2. Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1015–1042)
                3. Constantine IX Monomachos (ca. 1000–1055)
              • Theodora (980–1056)
            • Anna Porphyrogeneta (963–1011), married Vladimir I of Kiev
        • Agathe
        • Theodora, married John I Tzimiskes
    • Stephen I (867–893), Patriarch of Constantinople
    • Alexander (870–913)

Genealogy

Michael III emperor of the Romans 842–867 AMORIAN DYNASTY

Eudokia Ingerina

Basil I emperor of the Romans 867–886

Maria

Romanos I Lekapenos emperor of the Romans 920–944

1. Theophano Martinakia 2. Zoe Zaoutzaina 3. Eudokia Baïana 4. Zoe Karbonopsina

Leo VI the Wise emperor of the Romans 886–912

Stephen I Patriarch of Constantinople 886–893

Alexander emperor of the Romans 912–913

Christopher Lekapenos co-emperor 921–931 ∞ Sophia

Agatha ∞ Romanos Argyros

Theophylact Patriarch of Constantinople 933–956

Helena Lekapene (Lekapenos)

(4) Constantine VII emperor of the Romans 913–959

(2) Anna ∞ Louis III the Blind king of Provence, king of Lombardy Bosonids

(Maria) Irene Lekapene ∞ Peter I king of Bulgaria 927–969

Argyros

Nikephoros II Phokas emperor of the Romans 963–969 Phokas

(Anastasia) Theophano from Laconia

Romanos II emperor of the Romans 959–963

Theodora Porphyrogenita empress

John I Tzimiskes emperor of the Romans 969–976 Kourkouas

Charles Constantine count of Vienne

Pothos (or Eustathios) Argyros general

Basil II emperor of the Romans 976–1025

Constantine VIII emperor of the Romans 1025–1028 ∞ Helena of Alypius

Anna Porphyrogenita ∞ Vladimir I the Great grand prince of Kiev Rurik dynasty

Constance of Vienne ∞ Boson II count of Arles

Maria Argyre ∞ Giovanni Orseolo duke of Dalmatia

Basil Argyros general of Samos

1.Romanos III Argyros emperor of the Romans 1028–1034

Zoë Porphyrogenita empress of the Romans 1028–1050 ∞ 2.Michael IV the Paphlagonian emperor of the Romans 1034–1041

3.Constantine IX Monomachos emperor of the Romans 1042–1055

Helena Skleraina

Theodora empress of the Romans 1055–1056

(daughter) ∞ Constantine Diogenes

(adopted) Michael V Kalaphates emperor of the Romans 1041–1042

Anastasia Monomachaina ∞ Vsevolod I of Kiev

Romanos IV Diogenes emperor of Romans 1068–1071

Eudokia Makrembolitissa empress

Constantine X Doukas emperor of the Romans 1059–1067 DOUKAS DYNASTY

Vladimir II Monomakh grand prince of Kiev

See also

• Lekapenos
• Phokas (Byzantine family)
• Byzantine Empire under the Macedonian dynasty

Sources

• Fine, John V. A. Jr. (1991) [1983]. The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08149-7.
• Finlay, George (1853). History of the Byzantine Empire from 716–1057. William Blackwood & Sons.
• Obolensky, Dimitri (1974) [1971]. The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe, 500–1453. London: Cardinal. ISBN 978-0351176449.
• Ostrogorsky, George (1956). History of the Byzantine State. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
• Runciman, Steven (1988) [1929]. The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign: A Study of Tenth-Century Byzantium. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521357227.
• Stephenson, Paul (2000). Byzantium's Balkan Frontier: A Political Study of the Northern Balkans, 900–1204. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521770170.
• Stephenson, Paul (2003). The Legend of Basil the Bulgar-Slayer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521815307.
• Thurn, Hans, ed. (1973). Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum. Berlin-New York: De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3110022858.
• Treadgold, Warren (1997). A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2630-2.
• Vasiliev, Alexander Alexandrovich (1928–1935). History of the Byzantine Empire. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-80925-0.