Zoe (Byzantium)

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Gold-Histamenon, Zoe and Theodora III.
Christos Pantocrator with Emperor Constantine IX. and Empress Zoe on both sides (mosaic in Hagia Sophia )

Zoe ( Middle Greek Ζωή ; * around 978; † June 1050 in Constantinople ) was Byzantine Empress from April 21 to June 12, 1042 (together with her younger sister Theodora ) and daughter of Emperor Constantine VIII .

Zoe was probably the princess that Emperor Otto III. was promised. However, due to the early death of the emperor, a marriage did not take place. After his father's death in 1028, Zoe led the Macedonian royal dynasty by marrying the older senator Romanos III. Argyros left, who tolerated their numerous affairs; Konstantin Dalassenos was left behind. In April 1034, in all likelihood, she encouraged her favorite Michael IV to murder her husband. She married the perpetrator and had him crowned emperor, but the marriage was not happy. Zoe was forced to adopt her husband's nephew of the same name, who became the new emperor after her uncle's death in 1041. Michael V immediately tried to banish Zoe to a monastery on the Princes' Islands (April 18/19), which sparked a popular uprising, through which he was deposed. Zoe was then together with her sister Theodora III. destined to be empress. After three months of rule marked by mutual distrust, Zoe married Constantine IX. Monomachus, who then took over the business of government. He first put down the rebellion of Theophilos Erotikos in Cyprus , who had taken advantage of the chaos of the throne in Constantinople to make himself independent.

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Commons : Zoe (Byzantium)  - collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Michael V. Empress of Byzantium
1042 		Constantine IX
personal data
SURNAME Zoe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Zoë; Ζωή
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Byzantine empress
DATE OF BIRTH at 978
DATE OF DEATH June 1050
Place of death Constantinople