BYZANTINE EMPRESSES: Women and Power in Byzantium, AD 527-1204 by Lynda Garland

Author:Lynda Garland [Garland, Lynda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Language and Literature, Arts
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

EUDOKIA MAKREMBOLITISSA

scene on the lower zone of rectangular panels shows a half-figure of Christ

crowning or blessing an emperor and empress, identified as Constantine X

and Eudokia. Eudokia’s inscription reads, ‘Eudokia in Christ the Lord, Great

Empress (megale basilis) of the Romaioi’, and she holds an orb. The title

‘the great’ usually implies the senior empress, though here it does not mean

that she is equal to Constantine. It does, however, suggest that her status

was not unlike that of a co-emperor or successor to the throne. Certainly she

was a major figure in the dynasty prior to Constantine’s death, and the fact

that she was linked with him in the term ‘emperors of the Romaioi’, implies

that she was an Augusta of more than usual importance.22 Constantine may

have thought that the dynasty would only survive through her, while still

feeling the need to circumscribe her actions after his death.

The couple’s eldest son was Michael VII. His age is not known, but in 1067

he was long past his youth23 and must have been born before 1050. He was not,

therefore, technically a minor, as emperors had been known to assume the

throne at sixteen. Nevertheless, neither he nor the rest of the family made any

objection to Constantine’s proposal, and Eudokia became supreme ruler

(

),24 in charge of the whole administration, ruling in

conjunction with Michael and Constantios, her first and third sons (the

porphyrogennete Constantios, the third son, had been proclaimed emperor at

his birth and hence ranked above Andronikos, his elder brother).25 The experience

of John Doukas was there to help her if she needed it, but she preferred not to

entrust the administration to other hands. While she may have taken the position

of emperor, ‘basileus autokrator’, 26 it is more likely that her rule was technically

that of a regent, while in practice all power was centred in her.

When the Empress Eudokia, in accordance with the wishes of

her husband, succeeded him as supreme ruler, she did not hand

over the government to others…[but] she assumed control of the

whole administration in person… She made herself conversant

with all her duties, and wherever it was practicable she took part

in all the processes of government, the choice of magistrates,

civil affairs, revenues, and taxes. Her pronouncements had the

note of authority which one associates with an emperor. Nor was

this surprising, for she was in fact an exceedingly clever woman.

On either side of her were the two sons, both of whom stood

almost rooted to the spot, quite overcome with awe and reverence

for their mother.27

Constantios, who was born after his father’s accession, was still a child, but

Michael at least was of an age to rule. Nevertheless he left the whole

administration to his mother. Psellos sees this as to his credit, and praises him

for keeping silent in his mother’s presence when he could have spoken, and

171

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