Michael Lakapenos Porphyrogennetos

Michael Lakapenos (also Lekapenos ), epithet Porphyrogennetos ( "the purple-born"; medium Greek Μιχαήλ Λακαπηνός ὁ Πορφυρογέννητος * to 922; † after 963), was a grandson of the Byzantine Emperor Romanus I Lakapenos .

Life

Michael was probably the younger of the two sons of Christophoros Lakapenos and his wife Sophia . His siblings were Romanos , who died as a child before April 927 , Maria-Irene (later wife of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter I ) and another sister who died early. He had two daughters Helene and Sophia . Unlike his father and his brother Michael was from his grandfather Romanus I do not seem to co-emperor (Symbasileus) crowned. Nevertheless, he held emperor-like dignity, as , according to the Vita Basilii , he wore purple robes and shoes. Christian Settipani assumes that Michael, 924 at the time of his elder brother, the Emperor's coronation as Kaisar was charged.

When Constantine VII deposed his brothers-in-law Stephanos and Constantine as co-emperor on January 27, 945, Michael Lakapenos also lost his quasi-imperial status, but, unlike them, was spared the fate of exile. Constantine VII put him in clerical robes, but on the other hand awarded him the dignity of Magistros and Raiktor , so that the Romanos grandson remained present in public life even after 945. Under Emperor Romanos II , Michael Lakapenos advised the eunuch Joseph Bringas, who was influential at court, and perhaps held the office of Logothetes des Dromos. The time and circumstances of his death are unknown.

swell

Nikolaos Mystikos , Opuscula , acclamation list 200 D 1
Pseudo-Symeon 754
Johannes Skylitzes , Konstantinos (2) 3
Symeon Logothetes 137
Theodoros Skutariotes , Synopsis 149
Theophanes Continuatus 6, 3
Vita Basilii iun. ( BHG 263) fol. 22r, 32r
Johannes Zonaras 16, 21

literature

Alexander P. Kazhdan (Ed.): The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium . Oxford University Press, New York NY 1991, ISBN 0-19-504652-8 , pp. 1203-1204.
Otto Kresten , Andreas E. Müller : Samtherrschaft, legitimation principle and imperial document title in Byzantium in the first half of the 10th century (= session reports Austrian Academy of Sciences, philosophical-historical class. Volume 630). Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1995, ISBN 3-70-012226-8 .
Ralph-Johannes Lilie , Claudia Ludwig, Thomas Pratsch, Beate Zielke, Harald Bichlmeier, Bettina Krönung, Daniel Föller, Alexander Beihammer , Günter Prinzing : Prosopography of the Middle Byzantine Period . 2nd department: (867-1025). Volume 4: Landenolfus (# 24269) - Niketas (# 25701). Created after preliminary work by F. Winkelmann . Published by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. De Gruyter, Berlin 2013, ISBN 978-3-11-016669-9 , pp. 478-480 No. 25174.
Christian Settipani : Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle. De Boccard, Paris 2006, ISBN 2-7018-0226-1 .

Remarks

↑ Since Michael, in contrast to his older brother Romanos, is referred to in the sources as Porphyrogennetos , he must have been born after the coronation of his father as co-emperor (in May 921).
↑ Theodoros Skutariotes claims that Michael was coronated as emperor. B. its lack in a document dated April 927 for the southern Italian monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno , in which all five reigning emperors are otherwise named (cf. Kresten / Müller, Samtherrschaft , p. 24f.).
↑ The Vita Basilii also notes that at the time in question “seven rulers ruled in Constantinople with the rank of emperor” (έπτὰ γὰρ βασιλεῖς έν τοῖς βασιλείοις έτύγχανον), namely Romanos I and his sons Romanoshoros I, Constantine VII, and Christophorus VII and Konstantin Lakapenos. The fact that Michael has had an imperial title since 927/928 at the latest is also suggested by the acclamation list 200 DI Westerink (dated between 928 and 931) cited by Kresten / Müller, Samtherrschaft , p. 29, in which he was before the Augustae Sophia and Helena Is called Lakapene .

↑ Settipani, Continuité , p. 281, note 1: "Le jeune Michaèl, né vers 920, est nommé césar en 924."

personal data
SURNAME	Michael Lakapenos Porphyrogennetos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Michael Lekapenos Porphyrogennetos; Μιχαήλ Λακαπηνός ὁ Πορφυρογέννητος (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Grandson of the Byzantine emperor Romanos I.
DATE OF BIRTH	at 922
DATE OF DEATH	after 963

[1] Since Michael, in contrast to his older brother Romanos, is referred to in the sources as Porphyrogennetos , he must have been born after the coronation of his father as co-emperor (in May 921).

[2] Theodoros Skutariotes claims that Michael was coronated as emperor. B. its lack in a document dated April 927 for the southern Italian monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno , in which all five reigning emperors are otherwise named (cf. Kresten / Müller, Samtherrschaft , p. 24f.).

[3] The Vita Basilii also notes that at the time in question “seven rulers ruled in Constantinople with the rank of emperor” (έπτὰ γὰρ βασιλεῖς έν τοῖς βασιλείοις έτύγχανον), namely Romanos I and his sons Romanoshoros I, Constantine VII, and Christophorus VII and Konstantin Lakapenos. The fact that Michael has had an imperial title since 927/928 at the latest is also suggested by the acclamation list 200 DI Westerink (dated between 928 and 931) cited by Kresten / Müller, Samtherrschaft , p. 29, in which he was before the Augustae Sophia and Helena Is called Lakapene .

[4] Settipani, Continuité , p. 281, note 1: "Le jeune Michaèl, né vers 920, est nommé césar en 924."