Theodora: The Last Macedonian
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ม.ค. 2019
- A final echo of the Macedonian dynasty, she was one of the few women to hold the imperial title in her own right. A competant and effective ruler, she was a pivotal player in the politics and intrigues of the early eleventh century. With her death came about a period of uncertainty and civil war.
Predecessor: Constantine IX Monomachos
Successor: Michael VI Bringas
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Bibliography:
Aristakes Lastivertsi, History Regarding the Sufferings Occasioned by Foriegn Peoples Living Around Us, Translation by Bedrosian, R. (1985)
John Skylitzes, A Synopsis of Byzantine History 811-1057, Translation by Wortley, J. (2010)
John Zonaras, Chronicle Vol 3, C.S.H.B. Vol XLIX Pinder(1897)
Michael Attaleiates, The History, Translation by Kaldellis, A. and Krallis, D. (2012)
Michael Glykas, Chronicle, C.S.H.B. Vol XXIV Bekker (1836).
Michael Psellos, Chronographia,Translation by Sewter, E.R.A. (1953)
Angold, M. (1997) The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204. Edinburgh.
Kaldellis, A. (2017) Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood: The Rise and Fall of Byzantium, 955 A.D. To the First Crusade. Oxford.
Norwich, J.J. (1991) The Byzantine Empire: The Apogee, London.
Treadgold, W. (1997) A History of the Byzantine State and Society, Stanford.
Music Credit:
'Time', 'Balance of Power', 'Shadows', 'Emnity', by Ed Lima and Steve Maitland from Empire Earth by Sierra.
'Ambient 1' and 'Ambient 2' by Jason Graves from Rise and Fall: Civilisations at War by Midway Games.
All images used are for educational purposes, if I have used a piece of art and you would like me to credit you, please contact me and I shall do so.
Theodora did the same as Queen Elizabeth I who also refused to name an heir for fear that the heir would depose her.
I do love the Empire Earth music!
A very appropriete music for a empire that left its mark on this earth. If you know what I mean.
Great essay as always. Byzantines were really cool with women as Empresses. Love the images.
No they were not. Byzantines only had three or four reigning empresses. This is despite the fact that there were many times in which emperors had no male heirs and the throne passed by marriage of an imperial princess to her husband.
@@johnlewis3891 *Romans
Not really. People were divided on Irene.
I love this
Where did you get the image of Zoe and Theodora at 5:35? I've seen a number of images of them, including Monomachus Crown but that one I haven't seen till this video. I'm interested in knowing where its from. .
Enamel Medallion with Two Empresses Crowned by the Virgin Mary, Khakhuli
Triptych, Georgian National Museum.
Wow!!!
The death of Empress Θεοδώρα ΙΙ was probably due to intestinal necrosis due to an obstacle in or out of an intestinal segment accompanied by abdominal cramps, diarhea or melaena, with perforation of the ischemic intestinal segment ,peritonitis and eventual septicemia with septicemic shock.
The whole process can last several days with the patient unable to eat or drink ,but vomiting which leads to dehydration an hypovolemic shock.
In older patients this sequence can also be due to intestinal torsion, strangulation eg if there is a not reducible herniation , or intususception as the causes of the mechanic block ( ileus).
Appendicitis, when complicated by perforation, peritonitis and septic shock can have a similar symptomatic evolution ( except diarrhea or melaena) but a more rapid evolution.
Intestinal necrosis without diarrhea and melaena can be due to poisoning followed by intestinal necrosis and haemorrhagy.
In short Emperess Theodora probably died of obstructive or mechanical ileus complicated by septuc shock.
Why weren't Zoe and Theodora married while younger to produce heirs? Also why didn't Basil II marry? Another question is, why didn't Constantine try to produce any other heirs aside of Theodora and Zoe? Presumably, being a man, he could have gotten a younger woman to marry and tried to secure himself a male heir.
The whole, end of the macedonian dynasty is a bit of a mystery since it comes back to Basil II, whom we really donm't know all that much about. Eudokia, the eldest daughter became a churchwoman quite early on and Zoe was arranged to marry Otto III of the HRE but it was called off when he died in 1002. Theodora was actually supposed to be the one to marry Romanos III but refused, it is not known why she did not marry beforehand. It is unknown why Basil did not marry, Psellos says that he was a bit of a wastral ion his youth but no lovers or bastards are mentioned and he is said to have been chaste afterwards.
Constantine only had 3 daughters because after his wife died he never remarried. He also was rushed with his succession, he planned to marry Theodora to Constantine Dalassenos but because he was far away chose Romanos Argyros because he was in Constantinople. It is said Theodora didn't plan for the succession either due to an acute fear of dying, it is possible that Constantine might have shared this aversion and been in complete denial, considering it was only when he and she were pratically dead anyway that he decided to choose a successor, suggests its not impossible.
@@EasternRomanHistory It's interesting how the simple act of producing an heir, could have changed history quite a bit. Perhaps if the Basil II or Constantine had produced a son, or married Constantine's daughters while they were capable of giving birth, the empire's history would have drastically changed, even allowing it to survive to this day.
Also at around ~12:30 in the video, why did none of the Byzantine nobles of have the guts to march an army to the east and fight the Turks? I would assume that, at the time the Byzantine army was at a much better shape than it had been later under Emperor Romanos IV, whom from what I understand was actually at a position in which he had a good chance of defeating the Turks had he not been betrayed Andronikos Doukas.
The " makedonian" dynasty should be renamed the AMORIAN or AMORID ( suffix -ιδες) dynasty from Amorion , the principal military castrum of Anatolia where Michel II was born.
The presumed founder of the " makedonian" dynasty. Basileios I, the assassin of emperor Michel III and usurper of the throne died without an issue. He had a son Sebastos from his firsth wife Maria, who was associated as co- emperor under the name Constantine but died aged 18 years. After having fathered Leon VI ,Michael III
obliged Basileios to marry his ( Michaels) mistress Eudokia Ingerina ,the mother of Leon VI and Stephanos. From Eudokia Basileios fathered Alexandros, who reigned one year but was not married and also died without an issue, which signed the end of the inexistent
" makedonian " dynasty.
To found a dynasty three rulers of the same familly are needed in succesion : Grand father ,father and son. Basileios l had 2 sons who had no issues. So the AMORID dynasty continued with Leon VI ο Σοφός, his porphyrogennetes son Konstantinos VII, father of Romanos II, father of Basileios II and Konstantinos VIII, the father of Zoe and Theodora who beared the name of her 5. maternal ancestor emperess Theodora Mamikonian, the wife of Theophilos and mother of Konstantinos VI and his brother Michael III), who died 2 years of age.
The amoride dynasty had 2 Michaels, 3 Konstantines,2 Theodoras .
Last point: Basileios ,an armenian, was born in Χαριουπολις, Θράκη, and was NOT of makedonian origin( his lie) but an armenian wrestler.
_______________________
AMΟΡΙΔΗ ΔΥΝΑΣΤΕΙΑ
1.Michael II. 770-829
2.Theophilos 813-842
3.Konstantinos VI, pf crowned at his birth, died 2 years of age
4.Michael III 840-867 pf
(Basileios I 811-886 usurpator , co- emperor 866, reigned alone 867-886)
5.Leon VI 886-913
6.Alexandros 872-913
son of Basileios I, reigned 972-973
6.Konstantinos VII 908-959 pf
7 Romanos II 938-963 pf
two usurpators
-Nikephoros II Phokas reigned 963-969
- Ioannes Kourkouas dictus tzimiskes, who assassinated Nikephoros II, reigned 969-976
8.Basileios II 958-1025 reigned 976-1025
9.Konstantinos VIII 960-1028 ,reigned 1025-1028 with his brother Βασίλειος Β" the βουλγαροκτόνος
10.Zoe 978-1050 pf reigned as wife of four succesive emperors, and 2 years with her sister Theodora.
11.Theodora 980-1056
reiged alone after the death of sister Zoe.
pf = porphyrogénnetes/
...génnete ( born in the purpur chamber in the imperial palace, which signed the absolute legitimacy).
Theodora was Macedonian ? Bcs I know she was Byzantine
By Macedonian I refer to the dynasty that she belonged to, which was called Macedonian. Basil the Macedonian was the first emperor of this dynasty and Theodora was the last member. Basil came from the region of Macedonia.
@@EasternRomanHistory thanks
@@naummihajlovski4450 What being "byzantine" mean btw? this word didnt exist back then >< also i must precise what was called macedonia back then : upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Byzantine_Greece_ca_900_AD.svg
It is Believed that Basil I was born from an armenian familly that moved to the province of Macedonia
Naum Mihajlowski
Since Basileios I was not a Makedonian, but an Armenian and since he had NO issue, his unic second son Alexandros also died without issue there is NO MAKEDONIAN DYNASTY. Theodora was the last fleuron of the AMORID ( from Amorion the principal castrum of Anatole, wherefrom Michael II, the founder of the Amoride dynasty came from). All of the Amorids were Greeks.
Your firsth information is the right one.
The confusion originated in the fact that Michael III ( who had been married by his holy Mother Theodora to a pious and ugly N. Dekapolitissa fathered Leon VI with his concubine Eudokia. Realising tha his bastard son Leon never could have access to the throne, Michael forced his favorite Basileios to marry Eudokia, which he did, generating Alexandros who reigned 2 years after the death of Leon VI , but who also had no issue. Leon knew that he was the bastard
of Michael III but could not reveal it without loosing the throne.Apparently this secret was well preserved since Konstantinos VIII porphyrogennetos believed to be the legitime son of Basileios I .He eventually wrote a book gloryfying him.
I submitted the whole of this problem to Wikipedia that stupidly rejected it !
WOULD!!!...
Such treachery in the Byzantine court. And hey this lady gives me Queen Elizabeth vibes.
She was the Elizabeth of Rome. Like Elizabeth, she could be very stingy with money. Like Elizabeth, she refused to marry. Like Elizabeth, she refused to name an heir.
Damn she was born on 980 ? Ad damn I guess no hope kids ;(
Its really cool to see women in power
No. It's cool to see capable people in power.
@@rfkwouldvebeenaok1008 That's what this woman was not.
Why Theodora conspired so many times against Zoe? Her rule was bad? Also in the video you say it like if theodora had no hands in the corwning of Michael VI but i read in different sources that Theodora did choose Michael VI before her death, that was enforced by Leo Paraspondylos
I think, in the beginning at least, she felt she should have been the one in charge or at least could do a better job. Her brief reign as sole empress showed that she was probably correct and combined with a great warrior like Constantine Diogenes, they could have been a far more effective pair than the lacklustre Romanos III and Zoe, although Michael Iv was at least quite decent.
You are correct in that she did appoint Michael the Old as her successor while on her deathbed but this candidate was basically chosen for her by her eunuchs.
@@EasternRomanHistory Yeah i dont really feel like Zoe was that competent, i feel like the ppl loved Zoe but when i think about her rein its bascially she take husband he is bad she remove him with another Michael IV, he die she remarry instantly with Michael V who overthrow her, then she marry again etc i just feel like she give power to not competent ppl promotting them and creat problemes =/
Also i want to ask a quesiton my friend i have an issue with understanding how greek work, i mean talking about Michael VI one of his tiitle is "Stratiotikos" (the militarry one) but i wanted to know how that word would be if the person was a femal? Stratiotika? or Stratiotiki? because i saw both when i saerched
Thanks for your help =)
@@AdriatheBwitch No problem, so I am still learning Greek myself, but the first thing you have to remember about the Greek they were using is that it was medieval venacular Greek as well as Ancient Attic Greek, which is different to modern Greek, just how Middle English is different to Modern English. For Stratiotikos, this essentially means Military Official (I believe Michael was the minister responsible for provisioning the army) So this is a masculine pronoun, which we can tell with it ending in os. The female version of the word (which English does not have to worry about because we just have singluar and plural and not all of this femanine and mascular words stuff) often ends in a long-sound e, so something like Stratiotike. I believe Stratiotika would make it feminine plural (the masculine plural would be Stratiotikoi) I believe that is how it would be rendered if the office were held by a woman. A little like how Komnenos becomes Komnene. Hope that helps.
@@EasternRomanHistory Thanks for the help friend but then im inda confused because then why the term "Porphyrogennētos" become "Porphyrogennēta" (like with theodora) in its feminine form? thats why im a bit confused with this actually i saw it with Ana Komnene but i also got confused with Irene Sarantapechaina who came from the Sarantapechainos familly, thus my confusion in ike "how does this work" =/
@@AdriatheBwitch ah, well an e endinghas a varient femanine ending of a so it is still feminine its is justy a variation. In this case its a bit awkward saying Sarantapechine, but much easier to say Sarantapechina.
This goes to show that having a female emperor was acceptable in the eyes of the Medieval Romans despite the common misogyny of medieval people.
Not really. Byzantines only had 3-5 reigning empresses. This is despite the fact that there were many times in which emperors had no male heirs and the throne passed by marriage of an imperial princess to her husband.
Not wanting a woman to rule has 0 to do with hating women. Do you hate your child, when you don't allowed it to run your finances or your household? Men are better suited to ruling a country in most cases, bc even a corrupt emperor is capable, he just uses his skills for his own sake instead of the greater good. So you can learn from them. An incapable emperor is of use to nobody. The few Roman empresses there are, only 1 or 2 were actually good.