Euphrosyne (Greek: Εὐφροσύνη; 790 – after 836), was a Byzantine empress by marriage to

Michael II Michael II (, ; 770 – 2 October 829), called the Amorian (, ) and the Stammerer (, or , ), reigned as Byzantine emperor from 25 December 820 to his death on 2 October 829, the first ruler of the Amorian dynasty. Born in Amorium, Michael was ...

. She was a daughter of Byzantine emperor

Constantine VI Constantine VI (, 14 January 771 – before 805), sometimes called the Blind, was Byzantine emperor from 780 to 797. The only child of Emperor Leo IV, Constantine was named co-emperor with him at the age of five in 776 and succeeded him as sol ...

, the last representative of the Isaurian dynasty, and his empress Maria of Amnia.

Life

In January 795, Constantine VI divorced Maria and sent her along with Euphrosyne and her sister Irene to a convent on the island of Prinkipo. The Emperor then proceeded to marry his mistress Theodote. Euphrosyne spent her life in the monastery until c. 823.

had risen to the throne three years before but his dynastic claims were at best shaky. His first wife Thekla died early in the reign and he decided to strengthen his claim by marrying Euphrosyne. She was thus taken from her convent and entered the court as the new empress, but the highly controversial marriage proved barren. Michael II died on 2 October 829 and was succeeded by Theophilos, his son with Thekla. As his stepmother, Euphrosyne was still able to take some decisions for the sixteen-year-old emperor. She proclaimed a

bride-show The bride-show (; ; zh, 后妃選納) was a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country. A similar practice also existed in Imperial China. Byzantine Empire The method ...

for him in 830 and seem to have handpicked her stepdaughter-in-law Theodora. Soon after she retired to a monastery again.

Theophanes Continuatus ''Theophanes Continuatus'' () or ''Scriptores post Theophanem'' (, "those after Theophanes") is the Latin name commonly applied to a collection of historical writings preserved in the 11th-century Vat. gr. 167 manuscript.Kazhdan (1991), p. 2061 It ...

, in the continuation of the chronicle started by

Theophanes the Confessor Theophanes the Confessor (; 759 – 817 or 818) was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy who became a monk and chronicler. He served in the court of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar before taking up the religious life. Theophanes attended the Second C ...

, indicates that Theophilos obligated her to hold on to her monastic vows, ending the religious controversy concerning her presence in court. Theodora would go on to restore the veneration of icons in the Empire, forbidden since 815, when

Leo V the Armenian Leo V the Armenian (, ''Léōn ho Arménios''; 775 – 25 December 820) was the Byzantine emperor from 813 to 820. He is chiefly remembered for ending the decade-long war with the First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgars, as well as initiating the second ...

restarted the

Byzantine Iconoclasm The Byzantine Iconoclasm () are two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire when the use of religious images or icons was opposed by religious and imperial authorities within the Ecumenical Patriarchate (at the time still comprising the ...

. Whether Euphrosyne shared her

Iconodule Iconodulism (also iconoduly or iconodulia) designates the religious service to icons (kissing and honourable veneration, incense, and candlelight). The term comes from Neoclassical Greek εἰκονόδουλος (''eikonodoulos'') (from – '' ...

tendencies and picked her for it remains vague. Euphrosyne appears twice more in the historical record. After rumours reached Constantinople that Theophilos had been killed in his campaign against Al-Afshin in Anatolia, those senators and senior officials opposed to the Emperor did not trouble themselves to discover if the news were true or not and looked for alternative candidates for the throne. Euphrosyne, aware of these political maneuvers, sent a messenger to her stepson advising him to return at once. According to later Arabic and Syriac sources the message read "The Romans who have come have reported that you are killed and they wish to appoint another emperor; come quickly." Theophilos returned.''Women in Purple: Rulers of Medieval Byzantium'' by Judith Herrin (Phoenix Press, London, 2001), pages 176–77. St. Michael Synkellos records Euphrosyne offering him food, drink and clothing during his imprisonment in 836. Her offer of help to an imprisoned Iconodule again raises the question of her own religious tendencies. Her time of death is not recorded.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Euphrosyne 790s births 9th-century deaths Isaurian dynasty Phrygian dynasty 8th-century Byzantine women 8th-century Byzantine people 9th-century Byzantine empresses Daughters of Byzantine emperors 9th-century empresses consort