He proved to be an ineffective and unpopular ruler, and Irene seized the throne in 797. This series occasionally crossed over with the John Grimes / Rim World books. Depiction of Byzantine Empress Irene, the wife of Emperor John II (r. 1118-1143 CE) as found in the Hagia Sophia in modern-day Istanbul (previously Constantinople), Turkey. 2. [1] Constantine Sarantapechos's son Theophylact was a spatharios and is mentioned as having been involved in suppressing a revolt in 799. 100 Women Trailblazers. She apparently was a beautiful but orphaned girl who at the age of seventeen was brought to Constantinople by the Emperor Constantine V to be married to his son Leo in November 769. The clergy and nobles attending the ceremony proclaimed Charlemagne as "Augustus". Empress Irene and the Silk Trade (752-803 CE). Barbara H. Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, second ed. The clergy and nobles attending the ceremony proclaimed Charlemagne as “Emperor of the Roman Empire.” In support of Charlemagne’s coronation, some argued that the imperial position was actually vacant, deeming a wom… One of these revolts succeeded, but in 792, Irene was re-established in all imperial powers as co-ruler with Constantine. Ten years later, he assumed the throne as Constantine VI. [5] On the same day, Irene returned the crown her husband had removed as part of a full imperial procession. Mosaic of Empress Irene, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. on What to Know About Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire, Carneades – Ancient Philosopher of Skepticism. She negotiated a marriage between her son Constantine and Rotrude, a daughter of Charlemagne by his third wife Hildegard. Empress Irene of Athens was the first female ruler of the Byzantine Empire. [7] At the same time, Irene appears to have been well aware that her position as regent was insecure. [2] When Patriarch Nicetas I of Constantinople died in 780, Leo IV appointed Paul of Cyprus, who had iconophile sympathies, as his successor, although he did force him to swear oaths that he would uphold the official iconoclasm. Irene then turned her attention to the restoration of icon veneration. After the success of Constantine V's general, Michael Lachanodrakon, who foiled an Abbasid attack on the eastern frontiers, a huge Abbasid army under Harun al-Rashid invaded Anatolia in summer 782. More. Empress Irene, who was alive from 752 AD to 803 AD,  was one of the these figures. She negotiated a marriage between her son and his daughter. Empress Irene's ship The Wanderer is stolen and she gives chase. ), While this greatly improved relations with the Papacy, it did not prevent the outbreak of a war with the Franks, who took over Istria and Benevento in 788. [5] She had Nikephoros and his four brothers ordained as priests, a status which disqualified them from ruling, and forced them to serve communion at the Hagia Sophia on Christmas Day 780. Irene was one of only three female rulers to hold sole power in the 1,100-year-long history of the Byzantine Empire. She Wasn’t The Most Likely Candidate For Empress No one knows exactly how the Roman Emperor, Constantine V, came to choose Irene as the bride of his son Leo IV. Prior to this, icon usage in the church had been banned. With him out of the way, Irene proclaimed herself sole ruler. There was a religious movement called Iconoclasm at the time, and believers like Leo IV considered religious icons to be a form of idolatry. [1], Irene was brought to Constantinople by Emperor Constantine V on 1 November 768 and was married to his son Leo IV on 17 December. It is believed that she was born of a Greek noble family. Especially unusual is that, while Constantine V was a militant iconoclast who was known for persecuting venerators of icons, Irene herself displayed iconophile predilections. An attempt to free himself by force was met and crushed by the Empress, who demanded that the oath of fidelity should thenceforward be taken in her name alone. [citation needed], Irene next had to subdue a rebellion led by Elpidius, the strategos of Sicily. Empress Irene set out to solve the issue of iconoclasm which was established in the empire. The second council ended with icon veneration officially restored. A After her death, she became a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. [3], Leo IV, though an iconoclast like his father, pursued a policy of moderation towards iconophiles. To help solidify her claim to the throne, Irene sought a closer relationship with Charlemagne, the King of the Franks. Alexander, Archibald, and André Lagarde, Joseph Turmel. [9], As Constantine approached maturity he began to grow restless under the autocratic sway of his mother. The first of these, held in 786 at Constantinople, was frustrated by the opposition of the iconoclast soldiers. In spite of these reverses, Irene's military efforts met with some success: in 782 her favoured courtier Staurakios subdued the Slavs of the Balkans and laid the foundations of Byzantine expansion and re-Hellenization in the area. Comments Off on What to Know About Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire. Empress Irene was the wife of Leo IV and, on her husband’s death, she reigned as regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 to 790 CE. Empress Irene, also known as Irene of Athens, was the consort of Emperor Leo IV, who ruled Byzantium. She was 17, when her father died and siblings were estranged by circumstances. Her family background is not known. She was married by Constantine V, ruler of the Eastern Empire, to his son, the future Leo IV, in 769. During her rule as regent, she called the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, which condemned iconoclasm as heretical and brought an end to the first iconoclast period (730–787). Charlemagne invaded Italy early on in his reign, annexing the Lombard kingdom of Italy. Irene, (born c. 752, Athens—died Aug. 9, 803, Lesbos), Byzantine ruler and saint of the Greek Orthodox Church who was instrumental in restoring the use of icons in the Eastern Roman Empire. Irene is said to have endeavoured to bring about a marriage alliance between herself and Charlemagne, but according to Theophanes the Confessor, who alone mentions it, the scheme was frustrated by Aetios, one of her favourites. She summoned a council, the second council of Nicaea, to reinstate the use and veneration of icons. This rare coin, minted during her reign, not surprisingly incorporates remarkable iconographical innovations, with every detail stressing her sole imperial authority. Irene’s unprecedented position as an empress ruling in her own right was emphasized by the coincidental rise of the Carolingian Empire in western Europe, which rivaled Irene’s Byzantium in size and power. 45,46; published 2009; See Garland, p. 89, who explains that Aetios was attempting to usurp power on behalf of his brother Leo. [2] An unnamed female relative of Irene was married to the Bulgar ruler Telerig in 776. Read the article "The Empress Irene" before answering Numbers 1, through 8. Empress Irene was the wife of Leo IV and, on her husband’s death, she reigned as regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 to 790 CE. [11], Irene's unprecedented position as an empress ruling in her own right was emphasized by the coincidental rise of the Carolingian Empire in Western Europe, which rivaled Irene's Byzantium in size and power. [6], From the beginning, Irene seems to have taken more power for herself than was traditionally expected of female regents. Irene was born in Athens about the year 752. Next. [5] Possibly hoping to placate supporters of her husband's family, Irene is reported to have proposed that Leo IV's sister Anthousa should join her as co-regent, but Anthousa is said to have rejected the offer. The discontent which this occasioned swelled in 790 into open resistance, and the soldiers, headed by the army of the Armeniacs, formally proclaimed Constantine VI as the sole ruler. Britannica Explores. [2] He ordered for a number of prominent courtiers to be arrested, scourged, tonsured, and tortured after they were caught venerating icons. [4] Leo IV launched an investigation and discovered the courtiers who had brought the icons. The Byzantine Empire, also IQown as the East Roman Empire, was founded by [1] She was a member of the noble Greek Sarantapechos family, which had significant political influence in central mainland Greece. Book 1. She gave birth to a son, Constantine, on January 14, 771. Irene was also known for her generous financial policies, which were especially friendly to monasteries. During her time as regent, she had several military successes. Irene Ducaena was the wife and empress of Alexios I Comnenus, marrying him shortly after he seized the throne on April 1, 1081. In 781, Irene discovered that Elpidios, the Strategos or Governor of Sicily, was planning a coup that would put Nikephoros on the throne. Because of this, Empress Irene is named as a saint in the Orthodox Christian Church. Whether he actually desired a coronation at all, remains controversial – his biographer Einhard related that Charlemagne had been surprised by the Pope – but the Eastern Empire felt its role as the sole Roman Empire threatened and began to emphasize its superiority and its Roman identity. Irene was exiled to Lesbos and forced to support herself by spinning wool. Their son was born just a little over a year after the marriage. 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