Michael III (Byzantium)

This coin was minted during the reign of Theodora and shows her prominent role. Michael is only shown on the back and is even here in the shadow of his sister Thekla .

Michael III ( Middle Greek Μιχαήλ Γʹ , called Μεθυστής Methystes or Μέθυσος Methysus "drunkard"; * 839 in Constantinople ; † September 23, 867 ibid) was Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867.

Life

Michael was the youngest son of Theophilos and thus the grandson of Michael II. When his father died, whom he succeeded as Byzantine emperor in 842 , he was only three years old. His older brother Constantine had died before 836. During Michael's minority, the empire was ruled by his mother Theodora and the eunuch Theoktistus , who managed to hold the borders against the Arabs, although their generals suffered several defeats. The regent showed her religious zeal by allowing the worship of images again in 843 (see Byzantine Iconoclasm ) and persecuting the Paulicians . On the other hand, she neglected her son's upbringing.

Michael grew up in debauchery and came under the influence of his uncle Bardas , who led him in 856 to send Theodora and her daughters Thekla , Anna, Anastasia and Pulcheria to a monastery. In 857 Michael seized power himself. He was the last emperor of the Cupid dynasty .

Bardas appointed Photios the Patriarch of Constantinople Opel and justified his empire by advancing brought internal reforms, while Michael himself took an active part in the campaigns. During a conflict with the Arabs on the Euphrates suffered (856-863) of Emperor 860 is a personal defeat, the 863 by a great victory of his uncle Petronas on the Emir of Melitene and the breakaway Paulician under their leader Karbeas in the battle of lalakaon compensated has been. In the same year Byzantium achieved the conversion of the Bulgarian ruler Boris I to Christianity . Michael III. Godfather of the Bulgarian Knjas , Boris I. also took the name Michael.

From the sea the empire suffered from the devastation of the Cretan pirates. In Sicily , the conquests of the Arabs advanced. In 860 the first raid of the Kievan Rus endangered the Bosporus , but the raid could be repulsed.

In 867 Michael was murdered by his favorite Basil , a former groom who had overcome Bardas' influence in 865 and in 866, possibly together with Basiliskianos , had participated in the government of the empire.

The conflict with the Roman Church under Pope Nicholas I was under Michael III. aggravated when Cyril and Method of Saloniki took up the mission to the Slavs .

literature

• Leslie Brubaker, John F. Haldon: Byzantium in the Iconoclast era. c. 680-850. A history. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 2011, ISBN 978-0-521-43093-7 .
• Philip Grierson : Catalog of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, 3: Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717-1081. Harvard University Press, Washington 1973, ISBN 978-0-88402-045-5 , pp. 452-469 ( full text in the Google book search).
• J. Hahn: Michael III. In: Biographical Lexicon on the History of Southeast Europe . Volume 3. Munich 1979, p. 176 f.
• Ralph-Johannes Lilie , Claudia Ludwig, Thomas Pratsch, Ilse Rochow, Beate Zielke: Prosopography of the Middle Byzantine Period . 1st department: (641−867). Volume 3: Leon (# 4271) - Placentius (# 6265). Created after preliminary work by F. Winkelmann . Published by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. De Gruyter, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-11-016673-9 , pp. 259-266 No. 4991.

Web links

Commons : Michael III.  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

predecessor	Office	successor
Theophilus	Emperor of Byzantium 842–867	Basil I.