Theophano, wife of Staurakios
Encyclopedia
Family
According to the chronicle of Theophanes the ConfessorTheophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
, Theophano was a relative of Irene
Irene (empress)
Irene Sarantapechaina , known as Irene of Athens or Irene the Athenian was a Byzantine empress regnant from 797 to 802, having previously been empress consort from 775 to 780, and empress dowager and regent from 780 to 797. It is often claimed she called herself "basileus" , 'emperor'...
(reigned 797–802). Both women were from Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
but the nature of their relation to each other is not known.
Empress
On 20 December 807, Theophano married StaurakiosStaurakios
Staurakios or Stauracius was Byzantine emperor from July 26 to October 2, 811 in succession to his father, Nikephoros I, who had fallen at the Battle of Pliska...
. The date of their marriage was recorded by Theophanes. Staurakios was the only known son of Nikephoros I
Nikephoros I
Nikephoros I or Nicephorus I, Logothetes or Genikos was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811, when he was killed in the Battle of Pliska....
. He was co-emperor with his father since 803. Theophano had been betrothed to another man but took place in the imperial bride-show
Bride-show
The bride-show was a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country.Notable marriages resulting from a bride-show: Theophilos and Theodora, three wives of Ivan IV of Russia, Peter the Great's mother Natalya Naryshkina.-Further...
. She was possibly chosen to legitimise the connection of the new dynasty to their predecessor.
Her father-in-law is presumed to have been a widower by the time he was elevated to the throne. In the absence of a senior empress, Theophano was the only Empress during his reign.
On 26 July 811, Nikephoros was killed while fighting against Krum of Bulgaria
Krum of Bulgaria
Krum the Horrible was Khan of Bulgaria, from after 796, but before 803, to 814 AD. During his reign the Bulgarian territory doubled in size, spreading from the middle Danube to the Dnieper and from Odrin to the Tatra Mountains. His able and energetic rule brought law and order to Bulgaria and...
at the Battle of Pliska
Battle of Pliska
The Battle of Pliska or Battle of Vărbitsa Pass was a series of battles between troops, gathered from all parts of the Byzantine Empire, led by the Emperor Nicephorus I Genik, and Bulgaria, governed by Khan Krum...
. Much of the Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
was annihilated with him and the battle is considered one of the worst defeats in Byzantine history. Among the few survivors was Staurakios
Staurakios
Staurakios or Stauracius was Byzantine emperor from July 26 to October 2, 811 in succession to his father, Nikephoros I, who had fallen at the Battle of Pliska...
who succeeded as emperor.
Staurakios had not escaped the battlefield unharmed. A sword wound near his neck had left him paralyzed. Members of the imperial guard had managed to transfer him to Adrianople
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
but he never fully recovered from his wounds. The matter of Staurakios' succession was deemed urgent and two factions emerged at court. One centered around Theophano, wife of the Emperor, who reportedly sought to succeed her husband. The other centered around his sister Prokopia
Prokopia
Prokopia was the Empress consort of Michael I Rangabe of the Byzantine Empire.-Family:She was a daughter of Nikephoros I. The name of her mother is not known. Her only known sibling is Staurakios.-Marriage:...
who intended to place her husband Michael I Rangabe
Michael I Rangabe
Michael I Rangabes was Byzantine Emperor from 811 to 813.Michael was the son of the patrician Theophylaktos Rangabes, the admiral of the Aegean fleet...
on the throne.
Staurakios was apparently about to choose Theophano as his successor. The possibility of a second Empress regnant so soon after Irene seems to have turned the nobility in support of Michael and Prokopia. Other factors were ongoing war with Krum and negotiations with Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
over the legality of his imperial title. Staurakios was threatened to name Michael as his successor and abdicate at the same time. The abdication took place on 2 October 811.
Staurakios and Theophano retired to monastic life. Theophanes records that Theophano founded her own monastery. The chronicler names it with the somewhat curious name "Ta Hebraïka". Which is Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for something belonging to either the Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
or the Jews.
The year of her death is not known. Constantine VII
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
recorded in the 10th century that Staurakios and Theophano shared a common grave in the monastery of the Holy Trinity in 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:...
.