Romanos I Lakapenos or Lekapenos (; 870 – 15 June 948), Latinized as Romanus I Lacapenus or Romanus I Lecapenus, was

Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

from 920 until his deposition in 944, serving as

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

for and senior co-ruler of the young

Constantine VII Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, an ...

Origin

Romanos derived his epithet

Lekapenos Lekapenos () or Lakapenos (), usually Latinization of names, Latinized as Lecapenus or Lacapenus, feminine form Lekapene () or Lakapene (), Latinized as Lecapene or Lacapene, was the name of a prominent, assumed, Byzantine-Armenians, Armenian famil ...

, now usually treated as a family name, from his birthplace of Lakape (later Laqabin) between Melitene and

Samosata Samsat (, Ottoman Turkish صمصاد ''Semisat''), formerly Samosata () is a small town in the Adıyaman Province of Turkey, situated on the upper Euphrates river. It is the seat of Samsat District. He was the son of a peasant with the remarkable name of Theophylact "the Unbearable" (''Theophylaktos Abaktistos'' or ''Abastaktos''), who had rescued the Emperor

Basil I Basil I, nicknamed "the Macedonian" (; 811 – 29 August 886), was List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886. Born to a peasant family in Macedonia (theme), Macedonia, he rose to prominence in the imperial court after gainin ...

from the enemy in battle at Tephrike in 872, saving his life, and had been rewarded by a place in the Imperial Guard and received estates as a reward.} Theophylaktos is usually identified as

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

. Byzantinist

Anthony Kaldellis Anthony Kaldellis ( ; born 29 November 1971) is a Greek-American historian and Byzantinist who is a professor of classics at the University of Chicago. He is a specialist in Greek historiography, Plato, and Byzantine studies. As the author of mon ...

contests this, saying that Armenian ancestry is not mentioned in the many Byzantine sources which discuss Romanos, and that Theophylaktos' alleged ethnicity is an assumption based on his being born in humble circumstances in the Armeniac Theme. The assumption has been repeated so often in literature that it has acquired the status of a known fact, even though it is based on the most tenuous of indirect connections. Bulgarians defeat the Byzantines at Anchialos

Bulgarians defeat the Byzantines at Anchialos

Although he did not receive any refined education (for which he was later abused by his son-in-law Constantine VII), Romanos advanced through the ranks of the army during the reign of Emperor

Leo VI the Wise Leo VI, also known as Leo the Wise (; 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well read, leading to his epithet. During ...

. In 911 he was general of the naval theme of

Samos Samos (, also ; , ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese archipelago, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the Mycale Strait. It is also a separate reg ...

and later served as admiral of the fleet ('' droungarios tou ploimou''). In this capacity he was supposed to participate in the Byzantine operations against

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

on the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

in 917, but he was unable to carry out his mission. In the aftermath of the disastrous Byzantine defeat at the Battle of Acheloos in 917 by the Bulgarians, Romanos sailed 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 ...

, where he gradually overcame the discredited regency of Empress Zoe Karvounopsina and her supporter Leo Phokas. Blinding of Leo Phokas

Rise to power

On 25 March 919, at the head of his fleet, Lekapenos seized the Boukoleon Palace and the reins of government. Initially, he was named '' magistros'' and '' megas hetaireiarches'', but he moved swiftly to consolidate his position: in April 919 his daughter Helena was married to Constantine VII, and Lekapenos assumed the new title '' basileopator''. On 24 September 920, he was named ''

caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

''; and on 17 December, Romanos was crowned senior emperor. In subsequent years Romanos crowned his own sons co-emperors,

Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...

in 921,

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

and Constantine in 924, although, for the time being, Constantine VII was regarded as first in rank after Romanos himself. It is notable that, as he left Constantine VII untouched, he was called 'the gentle usurper'. Romanos strengthened his position by marrying his daughters to members of the powerful aristocratic families of Argyros and Mouseles, by recalling the deposed patriarch

Nicholas Mystikos Nicholas I Mystikos or Mysticus (; 852 – 15 May 925) was the list of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1 March 901 to 1 February 907 and from 15 May 912 to his death on 15 May 925. His feast da ...

, and by putting an end to the conflict with the

Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

over the four marriages of Emperor Leo VI. His early reign saw several conspiracies to topple him, which led to the successive dismissal of his first '' paradynasteuontes'', John the Rhaiktor and John Mystikos. From 925 and until the end of his reign, the post was occupied by the chamberlain Theophanes.

War and peace with Bulgaria

The first major challenge faced by the new emperor was the war with Bulgaria, which had been re-ignited by the regency of Zoe. The rise to power of Romanos had curtailed the plans of

Simeon I of Bulgaria Simeon I the Great (; ; ) ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927,Lalkov, ''Rulers of Bulgaria'', pp. 23–25. during the First Bulgarian Empire. Simeon's successful campaigns against the Byzantines, Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest ...

for a marital alliance with Constantine VII, and Romanos was determined to deny the unpopular concession of imperial recognition to Simeon, which had already toppled two imperial governments. Consequently, the first four years of Romanos' reign were spent in warfare against Bulgaria. Although Simeon generally had the upper hand, he was unable to gain a decisive advantage because of the impregnability of Constantinople's walls. In 924, when Simeon had once again blockaded the capital by land, Romanos succeeded in opening negotiations. 61-manasses-chronicle

Meeting Simeon in person at Kosmidion, Romanos criticized Simeon's disregard for tradition and Orthodox Christian brotherhood and supposedly shamed him into coming to terms and lifting the siege. In reality, this was accomplished by Romanos' tacit recognition of Simeon as emperor of Bulgaria. Relations were subsequently marred by continued wrangling over titles (Simeon called himself emperor of the ''Romans'' as well), but peace had been effectively established. On the death of Simeon in May 927, Bulgaria's new emperor, Peter I, made a show of force by invading Byzantine

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, but he showed himself ready to negotiate for a more permanent peace. Romanos seized the occasion and proposed a marriage alliance between the imperial houses of Byzantium and Bulgaria, at the same time renewing the Serbian-Byzantine alliance with Časlav of Serbia, returning independence the same year. In September 927 Peter arrived before Constantinople and married Maria (renamed Eirene, "Peace"), the daughter of Romanos' eldest son and co-emperor Christopher, and thus his granddaughter. On this occasion Christopher received precedence in rank over his brother-in-law Constantine VII, something which compounded the latter's resentment towards the Lekapenoi, the Bulgarians, and imperial marriages to outsiders (as documented in his composition ''

De Administrando Imperio (; ) is a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII. It is a domestic and foreign policy manual for the use of Constantine's son and successor, the Emperor Romanos II. It is a prominent example of Byz ...

''). From this point on, Romanos' government was free from direct military confrontation with Bulgaria. Although Byzantium would tacitly support a

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

n revolt against Bulgaria in 931, and the Bulgarians would allow Magyar raids across their territory into Byzantine possessions, Byzantium and Bulgaria remained at peace for 40 years, until

Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria was a conflict beginning in 967/968 and ending in 971, carried out in the eastern Balkans, and involving the Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, and the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines encouraged the Rus' ruler Sviatoslav to ...

Campaigns in the East

Romanos appointed the brilliant general

John Kourkouas John Kourkouas (, ), also transliterated as Kurkuas or Curcuas, was one of the most important generals of the Byzantine Empire. His success in battles against the Muslim states in the East reversed the course of the centuries-long Arab–Byzant ...

commander of the field armies ('' domestikos ton scholon'') in the East. John Kourkouas subdued a rebellion in the theme of Chaldia and intervened in Armenia in 924. From 926 Kourkouas campaigned across the eastern frontier against the

Abbasids The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes i ...

and their vassals, and won an important victory at Melitene in 934. The capture of this city is often considered the first major Byzantine territorial recovery from the Muslims. Melitene by the Byzantines in 934 from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes

Melitene by the Byzantines in 934 from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes

In 941, while most of the army under Kourkouas was absent in the East, a fleet of 15 old ships under the ''

protovestiarios ''Protovestiarios'' (, ) was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs. In the late Byzantine period (12th–15th centuries), it denoted the Empire's senior-most financial official, and was also adopted by the medieval Ser ...

'' Theophanes had to defend Constantinople from a Kievan raid. The invaders were defeated at sea, through the use of

Greek fire Greek fire was an incendiary weapon system used by the Byzantine Empire from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries. The recipe for Greek fire was a closely-guarded state secret; historians have variously speculated that it was based on saltp ...

, and again at land, when they landed in

Bithynia Bithynia (; ) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast a ...

, by the returning army under Kourkouas. In 944 Romanos concluded a treaty with Prince

Igor of Kiev Igor (; ; – 945) was Prince of Kiev from 912 to 945. Traditionally, he is considered to be the son of Rurik, who established himself at Novgorod and died in 879 while Igor was an infant. According to the '' Primary Chronicle'', Rurik was succ ...

. This crisis having passed, Kourkouas was free to return to the eastern frontier. Byzantines_repel_the_Russian_attack_of_941

In 943 Kourkouas invaded northern

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

and besieged the important city of

Edessa Edessa (; ) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, in what is now Urfa or Şanlıurfa, Turkey. It was founded during the Hellenistic period by Macedonian general and self proclaimed king Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Sel ...

in 944. As the price for his withdrawal, Kourkouas obtained one of Byzantium's most prized relics, the '' mandylion'', the holy towel allegedly sent by

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

to King

Abgar V of Edessa Abgar V (c. 1st century BC – c. AD 50), called Ukkāmā (meaning "the Black" in Syriac language, Syriac and other dialects of Aramaic), was the King of Osroene with his capital at Edessa. Background Abgar was described as "king of the Ara ...

Surrender of the Mandylion to the Byzantines

John Kourkouas, although considered by some of his contemporaries "a second

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

Belisarius BelisariusSometimes called Flavia gens#Later use, Flavius Belisarius. The name became a courtesy title by the late 4th century, see (; ; The exact date of his birth is unknown. March 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under ...

," was dismissed after the fall of the Lekapenoi in 945. Nevertheless, his campaigns in the East paved the way for the even more dramatic reconquests in the middle and the second half of the 10th century.

Internal policies

Romanos I Lekapenos attempted to strengthen the Byzantine Empire by seeking peace everywhere that it was possible—his dealings with Bulgaria and Kievan Rus' have been described above. To protect Byzantine Thrace from Magyar incursions (such as the ones in 934 and 943), Romanos paid them protection money and pursued diplomatic avenues. The

Khazars The Khazars ; 突厥可薩 ''Tūjué Kěsà'', () were a nomadic Turkic people who, in the late 6th century CE, established a major commercial empire covering the southeastern section of modern European Russia, southern Ukraine, Crimea, a ...

were the allies of the Byzantines until the reign of Romanos, when he started persecuting the

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

s of the empire. According to the Schechter Letter, the Khazar ruler

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

responded to the persecution of Jews by "doing away with many

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

", and Romanos retaliated by inciting

Oleg of Novgorod Oleg (), Oleh (), or Aleh () is an Slavic peoples, East Slavic given name. The name is very common in Russia, Ukraine, and Belаrus. Origins ''Oleg'' derives from the Old Norse ''Helgi'' (Helge (name), Helge), meaning "holy", "sacred", or "ble ...

(called ''Helgu'' in the letter) against Khazaria.Rus
. ''

Encyclopaedia of Islam The ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI'') is a reference work that facilitates the Islamic studies, academic study of Islam. It is published by Brill Publishers, Brill and provides information on various aspects of Islam and the Muslim world, Isl ...

'' Similarly, Romanos re-established peace within the church and overcame the new conflict between

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and Constantinople by promulgating the ''Tomos of Union'' in 920. In 933 Romanos took advantage of a vacancy on the patriarchal throne to name his young son Theophylaktos

patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox Church. The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as ...

. The new patriarch did not achieve renown for his piety and spirituality, but he added theatrical elements to the Byzantine liturgy and was an avid horse-breeder, allegedly leaving mass to tend to one of his favorite mares when she was giving birth. Romanos was active as a legislator, promulgating a series of laws to protect small landowners from being swallowed up by the estates of the land-owning nobility ('' dynatoi''). The legislative reform may have been partly inspired by hardship caused by the famine of 927 and the subsequent semi-popular revolt of Basil the Copper Hand. The emperor also managed to increase the taxes levied on the aristocracy and established the state on a more secure financial footing. Romanos was also able to effectively subdue revolts in several provinces of the empire, most notably in Chaldia, the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

, and

Southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...

. He incorporated the Armenian fortress of

Citharizum Citharizum () was a town and fortress on the south arm of the Euphrates in the Roman province of Roman Armenia, Armenia III. It was a place of great strength which was built by the emperor Justinian and was the residence of one of the five prefect ...

into the empire in 942 and renamed it Romanopolis (Ρωμανούπολις). In Constantinople, he built his palace in the place called Myrelaion, near the

Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara, also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, is a small inland sea entirely within the borders of Turkey. It links the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea via the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, separating Turkey's E ...

. Beside it Romanos built a shrine which became the first example of a private burial church of a Byzantine emperor. Moreover, he erected a chapel devoted to Christ Chalkites near the

Chalke Gate The Chalke Gate (), was the main ceremonial entrance ( vestibule) to the Great Palace of Constantinople in the Byzantine period. The name, which means "the Bronze Gate", was given to it either because of the bronze portals or from the gilded bro ...

, the monumental entrance to the Great Palace.

End of the reign

Romanos' later reign was marked by the old emperor's heightened interest in divine judgment and his increasing sense of guilt for his role in the usurpation of the throne from Constantine VII. On the death of Christopher, by far his most competent son, in 931, Romanos did not advance his younger sons in precedence over Constantine VII. Fearing that Romanos would allow Constantine VII to succeed him instead of them, his younger sons Stephen and Constantine arrested their father on 20 (or 16) December 944, carried him off to the

Princes' Islands The Princes' Islands (; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", , ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar (); alternatively the Princes' Archipelago; is an archipelago off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, ...

and compelled him to become a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

. When they threatened the position of Constantine VII, however, the people of Constantinople revolted, and Stephen and Constantine were likewise stripped of their imperial rank and sent into exile to their father. Romanos died on 15 June 948, and was buried as the other members of his family in the church of Myrelaion. Madrid Skylitzes f 133r Stephanos and Constantine deposed over lunch

Madrid Skylitzes f 133r Stephanos and Constantine deposed over lunch

Having lived long under constant threat of deposition—or worse—by the Lekapenoi family,

was extremely resentful of them. In his ''

'' manual written for his son and successor,

Romanos II Romanos II (; 938 – 15 March 963) was Byzantine Emperor from 959 to 963. He succeeded his father Constantine VII at the age of twenty-one and died suddenly and mysteriously four years later. His wife Theophano helped their sons Basil II ...

, he minces no words about his late father-in-law: "the lord Romanus the Emperor was an idiot and an illiterate man, neither bred in the high imperial manner, nor following Roman custom from the beginning, nor of imperial or noble descent, and therefore the more rude and authoritarian in doing most things ... for his beliefs were uncouth, obstinate, ignorant of what is good, and unwilling to adhere to what is right and proper."

Family

Romanos I's only named wife is Theodora, who died in 922. However, genealogical and chronological considerations have led to the hypothesis that his three eldest children may have been born from an otherwise unattested first marriage. Romanos had at least eight legitimate and at least one illegitimate children, leading to numerous aristocratic descendants and connections in the Middle Byzantine period, including every emperor for the next century. *

, co-emperor from 921 to 931 (foremost co-emperor from 927); he married the ''augusta'' Sophia (died after 944), daughter of the ''magistros'' and ''patrikios'' Niketas Helladikos; they were parents of: ** Maria (renamed Eirene, "Peace"), died before 967 (963?); she married 927 Emperor

Peter I of Bulgaria Peter I (; ; died 30 January 970) was the emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 27 May 927 to 969. Facing Bogomilism and rebellions by his brothers and also by Časlav Klonimirović early on in his reign, Peter secured more success later in life; he ...

; they were parents, among others, of: *** Boris II, emperor of Bulgaria, died 977; he married and left issue ***

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, emperor of Bulgaria, died 997 ** Romanos, crowned co-emperor around 924, died in childhood before 927. Only briefly mentioned by

Michael Psellos Michael Psellos or Psellus (, ) was a Byzantine Greeks, Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to have died in 1078, although it has also b ...

and Joannes Zonaras. ** Michael Porphyrogennetos, born after 921, possibly given quasi-imperial honors before 945, subsequently ''magistros'' and ''raiktor'', died after 963; he married and was the father of: *** Helene; she married Konstantinos Radenos, ''protospatharios''; left issue *** Sophia; she married Pankratios Taronites, ''patrikios''; left issue * unnamed daughter, who died after 961; she married Romanos Saronites, ''magistros''; they were the parents of two unnamed children * unnamed daughter; she married (Alexios?) Mousele, who died in 922; they were the parents of: ** Romanos Mousele, ''magistros''; left issue * Theophylaktos, born 913, castrated as child, patriarch of Constantinople from 933 to 956. * Stephen Porphyrogennetos, born c. 920, co-emperor from 923 to 945, died 963; he married (in 934?) Anna, daughter of Gabalas; they were the parents of: ** Romanos, ''sebastophoros'', logothete of the envoys, castrated 945, died 975 * Constantine Porphyrogennetos, born c. 921, co-emperor from 923 to 945, died between 945 and 948; he married (1) Helena, daughter of the ''patrikios'' Adrianos, and (2), 941? Theophano Mamas; he and his first wife were the parents of: ** Romanos, ''patrikios'' and ''praipositos'', born after 934, castrated 945, died 971 * Helena, b. c. 907, died 961; she married Emperor

; they were the parents of: ** Leo, born before 939, died 944 or 945 ** Emperor

, born 937–939, died 963; he married (1) 944 Bertha (renamed Eudokia), daughter of Hugh of Provence, king of Italy, died 949; (2) c. 956 Anastaso (renamed Theophano), daughter of Krateros, died after 978; they were the parents of: *** Emperor

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus (; 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (, ), was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025. He and his brother Constantine VIII were crowned before their father Romanos II died in 963, but t ...

, born 958, died 1025 *** Emperor

Constantine VIII Constantine VIII (;Also called Porphyrogenitus (), although the epithet is almost exclusively used for Constantine VII. 960 – 11/12 November 1028) was ''de jure'' Byzantine emperor from 962 until his death. He was the younger son of Empe ...

, born 960 or 961, died 1028; he married c. 976 Helena, daughter of Alypios, died c. 989; they were the parents of: **** Eudokia, nun **** Empress Zoe, born c. 978, died 1050; she married (1) 1028 Emperor

Romanos III Argyros Romanos III Argyros (; Latinized Romanus III Argyrus; 968 – 11 April 1034), or Argyropoulos, was Byzantine Emperor from 1028 until his death in 1034. He was a Byzantine noble and senior official in Constantinople when the dying Constantine ...

, died 1034; (2) 1034 Emperor Michael IV, died 1041; (3) 1042 Emperor

Constantine IX Monomachos Constantine IX Monomachos (; 980/ 1000 – 11 January 1055) reigned as Byzantine emperor from June 1042 to January 1055. Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita chose him as a husband and co-emperor in 1042, although he had been exiled for conspiring agai ...

, died 1055; no issue, but adopted Emperor Michael V **** Empress Theodora, born c. 980 (or 989?), died 1056 *** Anna, born 963, died 1011; she married 989

Vladimir I Vladimir I may refer to: * Vladimir the Great Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (; Christian name: ''Basil''; 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 97 ...

of Rus'; they were the parents of: **** Feofana; she married Ostromir,

posadnik A posadnik (, ) was a representative of the prince in some towns during the times of Kievan Rus', and later the highest-ranking official (mayor) in Novgorod (from 1136) and Pskov (from 1308). In the early 12th century, Novgorod won the right to ...

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

, died c. 1057; left issue ** Zoe, nun since 959 ** Theodora, nun 959; married 970 Emperor John I Tzimiskes, died 976 ** Agatha, nun 959 ** Theophano, nun 959 ** Anna, nun 959 * Agatha, born c. 908?; she married in 921-922

Romanos Argyros Romanos III Argyros (; Latinized Romanus III Argyrus; 968 – 11 April 1034), or Argyropoulos, was Byzantine Emperor from 1028 until his death in 1034. He was a Byzantine noble and senior official in Constantinople when the dying Constantine ...

; they were the parents of: ** (Marianos?) Argyros; he married and was the father of: *** Emperor

, died 1034; he married (1) Helena, nun 1028; (2) the Empress Zoe, died 1050 *** Basil Argyros, called Mesardonites, ''protospatharios'', ''patrikios'', ''katepano'', died 1034; married and was the father of: **** unnamed Argyros **** unnamed Argyre; she married Constantine Diogenes, ''protospatharios'', ''katepano'', ''doux'', died 1032; they were the parents of: ***** Emperor

Romanos IV Diogenes Romanos IV Diogenes (; – ) was Byzantine emperor from 1068 to 1071. Determined to halt the decline of the Byzantine military and to stop Turkish incursions into the empire, he is nevertheless best known for his defeat and capture in 1071 at ...

, died 1072; he married (1) unnamed daughter of Alusian of Bulgaria; (2) in 1068

Eudokia Makrembolitissa Eudokia Makrembolitissa () was a Byzantine empress by her successive marriages to Constantine X Doukas and Romanos IV Diogenes. She acted as ruler with her two sons in 1067, and resigned her rule by marriage to Romanos IV Diogenes. When he was ...

; they were the parents of: ****** Constantine Diogenes, by the first marriage, died c. 1074; he married Theodora Komnene, sister of Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos (, – 15 August 1118), Latinization of names, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. After usurper, usurping the throne, he was faced with a collapsing empire and ...

****** Leo Diogenes, by the second marriage, born c. 1069, died 1087 ****** Nikephoros Diogenes, by the second marriage, born c. 1070, died after 1094 **** Helena Argyre; she married after 1028 King Bagrat IV of Georgia; no issue **** unnamed Argyre; she married King Hovhannes-Smbat III of Armenia *** Leon Argyros, ''katepano'', killed 1017 *** Maria Argyre, died 1006 or 1007; she married

Giovanni Orseolo Giovanni Orseolo (981-1006/7) was the first Venetian to hold power in Dalmatia, holding the title of ''Dux Dalmatiae''. History Giovanni's father Pietro II Orseolo was the Doge of Venice, and his mother was Maria Candiano. In 1000 he was sent to ...

, son of Doge

Pietro II Orseolo Pietro II Orseolo (961−1009) was the Doge of Venice from 991 to 1009, and a member of the House of Orseolo. He began the period of eastern expansion of Venice that lasted for the better part of 500 years. He secured his influence in the Dalma ...

; they were the parents of: **** Basilio Orseolo, died 1006 or 1007 *** Pulcheria Argyre, born c. 965, died c. 1034;Lilie et al. 2013
PMBZ 28935
/ref> she married Basil Skleros, ''patrikios'', ''magistros''; they were the parents of: **** unnamed Skleraina, died before 1042; she married the future Emperor

, who died 1055 *

Basil Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...

, illegitimate son by a "Scythian" mistress,

eunuch A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2 ...

, ''protobestiarios'', ''parakoimomenos'', ''paradynasteuon'', ''proedros'', who remained influential at court, dominating it in 976–985, before being set aside; he died after 986.Lilie et al. 2013
PMBZ 23078
/ref>

References

Sources

* Kaldellis, Anthony, ''Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood: The rise and fall of Byzantium, 955 A.D. to the First Crusade,'' Oxford, 2017. * * * Poppe, Andrzej, "Feofana Novgorodskaja," ''Novgorodskij istoričeskij sbornik'' 6 (1997) 102–120. * * Shepard, Jonathan (2003), "Marriages towards the Millennium," in P. Magdalino (ed.), ''Byzantium in the Year 1000'', Leiden, pp. 1–34. *

External links

*
World History Encyclopedia - Romanos I
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romanos 01 Lekapenos 870s births 948 deaths Year of birth uncertain 9th-century Byzantine military personnel 9th-century generals 10th-century Armenian people 10th-century Byzantine emperors Armenian Byzantine emperors Byzantine admirals Byzantine regents Lekapenos family Macedonian dynasty Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars Burials at Myrelaion Monastery (Constantinople) Constantine VII Governors of the Theme of Samos Megaloi hetaireiarchai Forcibly monasticised