Helena Argyre
Encyclopedia
Helena Argyre or Argyropoulaina (died c. 1033) was a Byzantine
princess of the Argyros family
and Queen Consort of Georgia as the first wife of King Bagrat IV
of the Bagratids
. She was given off in marriage by her uncle, the Byzantine emperor Romanos III Argyros, to the boy-king Bagrat c. 1032. Helena died within a year or so, without issue.
and, thus, a niece of the emperor Romanos III Argyros. The marriage of Helena to King Bagrat, then aged around 14, was arranged as part of a peace deal negotiated, c. 1032, by Bagrat's mother and regent Mariam
during her visit to Constantinople
, which brought an outbreak of Byzantine–Georgian hostilities to an end. Helena's family was well-known to the Georgian leaders; Queen Dowager Mariam was a daughter of the Armenian
monarch John-Senekerim II, the last king of Vaspurakan
, who had surrendered his patrimony to the emperor Basil II
. The first Byzantine governor of Vaspurakan was Basil Argyros, Helena's father.
for his son. The marriage was celebrated at the cathedral of Bana
, one of the principal royal churches of the Georgian Bagratids, which had also served as a venue for the coronation of Bagrat IV in 1027. The marriage is probably the subject of the 1036 fresco from the Oshki monastery
, depicting a royal event at Bana.
According to the Georgian historical tradition, Helene brought, as part of her dowry, "one of the nails
of Jesus Christ, the icon of Okona and great riches". In addition, a number of Byzantine artists and craftsmen accompanied her to Georgia. The Georgian noble family of Garsevanishvili
later claimed descent from Helena's chorister and were privileged to serve as hereditary keepers of the icon of Okona. This Byzantine ivory icon of the Mother of God, after an eventful history, found its abode at the Art Museum of Georgia
in Tbilisi
. Helena is also credited with the embellishment of the church of Gordi in Mingrelia.
Helena died within a year or so after her marriage in the city of Kutaisi
, without issue. All the children of Bagrat were born of his second marriage to the Alan
princess Borena
. Helena's death ended the brief rapprochement of the Georgian Bagratids and the Byzantine court and relations soon became unstable again.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
princess of the Argyros family
Argyros (Byzantine family)
Argyros , latinized as Argyrus, was the name of a prominent Byzantine family. They produced one Emperor, Romanos III, as well as other notables, including Pothos Argyros, Catepan of Italy....
and Queen Consort of Georgia as the first wife of King Bagrat IV
Bagrat IV of Georgia
Bagrat IV , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the King of Georgia from 1027 to 1072. During his long and eventful reign, Bagrat sought to repress the great nobility and to secure Georgia's sovereignty from the Byzantine and Seljuqid empires...
of the Bagratids
Bagrationi Dynasty
The Bagrationi dynasty was the ruling family of Georgia. Their ascendency lasted from the early Middle Ages until the early 19th century. In modern usage, this royal line is frequently referred to as the Georgian Bagratids, a Hellenized form of their dynastic name.The origin of the Bagrationi...
. She was given off in marriage by her uncle, the Byzantine emperor Romanos III Argyros, to the boy-king Bagrat c. 1032. Helena died within a year or so, without issue.
Family
Helena was a daughter of the magistros Basil ArgyrosBasil Argyros
Agent of Byzantium is a collection of short stories by Harry Turtledove, centred around the exploits of the eponymous Basil Argyros, a Byzantine secret agent...
and, thus, a niece of the emperor Romanos III Argyros. The marriage of Helena to King Bagrat, then aged around 14, was arranged as part of a peace deal negotiated, c. 1032, by Bagrat's mother and regent Mariam
Mariam of Vaspurakan
Mariam was the daughter of John-Senekerim II Artsruni, an Armenian king of Vaspurakan, and the first consort of the king George I of Georgia. As a Dowager Queen of Georgia, she was a regent for her underage son, Bagrat IV, from 1027 to 1037, and was involved in diplomacy with the Byzantine...
during her visit to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, which brought an outbreak of Byzantine–Georgian hostilities to an end. Helena's family was well-known to the Georgian leaders; Queen Dowager Mariam was a daughter of the Armenian
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
monarch John-Senekerim II, the last king of Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan Kingdom
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
, who had surrendered his patrimony to the emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
. The first Byzantine governor of Vaspurakan was Basil Argyros, Helena's father.
Marriage
Mariam returned to Georgia with the bride and the high imperial dignity of curopalatesCuropalates
Kouropalatēs, Latinized as curopalates or curopalata and Anglicized as curopalate, was a Byzantine court title, one of the highest from the time of Emperor Justinian I to that of the Komnenoi in the 12th century...
for his son. The marriage was celebrated at the cathedral of Bana
Bana cathedral
Bana or Banak , is a ruined medieval Christian cathedral in the Erzurum Province, northeastern Turkey, in what had formerly been a historical marchland known to Armenians as Tayk and to Georgians as Tao....
, one of the principal royal churches of the Georgian Bagratids, which had also served as a venue for the coronation of Bagrat IV in 1027. The marriage is probably the subject of the 1036 fresco from the Oshki monastery
Oshki
Oshki is a Georgian monastery from the second half of the 10th century located in the historic province of Tao, now in North-eastern Turkey. The main church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, was built between 963 and 973....
, depicting a royal event at Bana.
According to the Georgian historical tradition, Helene brought, as part of her dowry, "one of the nails
Nail (relic)
Relics that are claimed to be the Holy Nails with which Christ was crucified are objects of veneration among some Christians, i.e., among Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox. In Christian symbolism and art they figure among the Instruments of the Passion or Arma Christi, the objects associated with...
of Jesus Christ, the icon of Okona and great riches". In addition, a number of Byzantine artists and craftsmen accompanied her to Georgia. The Georgian noble family of Garsevanishvili
Garsevanishvili
Garsevanishvili , also known as Gersevanov is a Georgian noble Baronial family active in both Georgia and Russia.The family came to prominence in the early 18th century at the court of the Georgian king Vakhtang VI of Kartli...
later claimed descent from Helena's chorister and were privileged to serve as hereditary keepers of the icon of Okona. This Byzantine ivory icon of the Mother of God, after an eventful history, found its abode at the Art Museum of Georgia
Art Museum of Georgia
The Art Museum of Georgia , officially known as Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts , is one of the most important museums in Georgia...
in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. Helena is also credited with the embellishment of the church of Gordi in Mingrelia.
Helena died within a year or so after her marriage in the city of Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
, without issue. All the children of Bagrat were born of his second marriage to the Alan
Alania
Alania may refer to:*Alania, the medieval state of the Alans or Alani people in the North Caucasus*The short name of the modern North Ossetia-Alania, one of the Caucasian republics in the Russian Federation...
princess Borena
Borena of Alania
Borena was a sister of the Alan king Durgulel "the Great", and the Queen consort of Georgia, as the second wife of Bagrat IV .The medieval Georgian historical tradition exposes little information about Borena. Bagrat married her, in the early 1030s, after the death of his first wife, Helene...
. Helena's death ended the brief rapprochement of the Georgian Bagratids and the Byzantine court and relations soon became unstable again.
External links
- Helena, niece of Romanos III, wife of Bagrat IV of Georgia. Prosopography of the Byzantine WorldProsopography of the Byzantine WorldThe Prosopography of the Byzantine World is a project to create a prosopographical database of individuals named in textual sources in the Byzantine Empire and surrounding areas in the period from 642 to 1265...
. Accessed May 28, 2011.