Danielis (, ''Daniēlís'', fl. 9th century AD) was a widowed Byzantine noblewoman landowner from Patras.

Traditional narrative

According to the written tradition (continuing in the tradition of Theophanes) she was an extremely wealthy landowner, owning a significant part of the Peloponnese, as well as a flourishing carpet and textile industry. However, Ilias Anagnostakis has argued that the narrative about Danielis is not merely exaggerated but largely fictional. Her relationship with Basil I was modeled on that between King

Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...

and the queen of Sheba on the one hand, and

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

's visit to Kandake (as related in the Alexander Romance) on the other. The invention was meant, along with the other miraculous tales told about Basil in that text, to base his legitimacy and heroic stature in the realm of romantic fable and Scriptural parallel (he was also said to be descended from Alexander and sought to rival Solomon as a builder). Her estate, which she eventually bequeathed to the Emperor Leo VI, an estate ‘exceeding any private fortune and barely inferior to that of a ruler’, included 80 domains and over 3000 slaves whom the emperor sent as colonists to southern Italy. Danielis became acquainted with the future emperor Basil I the Macedonian during a visit he made in Patras when he was still an attendant of an imperial delegate. For some reason or other, Danielis offered Basil lavish gifts and land property which proved useful in his subsequent ascent to the imperial throne. She also travelled to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

with a large retinue, in order to visit Basil after he became emperor, in what the chronicles describe as an extravagant journey. Her loyalty to the throne was rewarded with the title of Emperor's Mother (''Basileomētōr''). She outlived Basil I and named Basil's son Leo VI the Wise as her heir. Leo released 3,000 of her slaves and sent them to settle in Southern Italy. The widow Danielis visits emperor Leo VI

The widow Danielis visits emperor Leo VI

References

*Catholic Encyclopedia. ''The Byzantine Empire''

*Foundation of the Hellenic World. ''Middle Byzantine Period: large-scale property''

*Runciman, Steven (1966). Byzantine Civilisation, Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd..

Citations

Businesspeople from Patras 9th-century Byzantine people Women of medieval Greece Medieval Peloponnese 9th-century Byzantine women 9th-century businesspeople Byzantine businesspeople Medieval businesswomen Medieval landowners Women landowners {{Byzantine-bio-stub