Zoe Karbonopsina

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Zoe and her son Constantine VII.

Zoe Karbonopsina ( Middle Greek Ζωή Καρβωνοψίνα ; † after 919), nickname Karvounopsina ("the coal-eyed"), was the fourth wife of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI. and the mother of his son Constantine VII.

Life

Zoe Karbonopsina was a relative of Theophanes and a niece of Admiral Himerios . She became Leo VI's lover around the year 903. and at the end of 905 gave birth to the future emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetus in the purple chamber of the Great Palace . Leo married his mistress on January 9, 906. However, this was the fourth marriage of Leo VI. and therefore violated the resolutions of the Trullan Synod . Nevertheless, the marriage could be concluded with the help of a cooperating priest named Thomas against the prohibition of the patriarch Nikolaus Mystikos .

Leo died in 912. After his brother and co-regent Alexander died in the following year, Constantine, who had been designated as his successor in 908, came to the throne. In 914 Zoe took over the government from the Patriarch Nikolaos I Mystikos for her underage son and also disempowered his guardian Basilitzes , who was still appointed by Alexander . She immediately terminated the contracts with the Bulgarians ; In 917 she sent ambassadors to the Pechenegs to help them attack the Bulgarians. Around the year 920 Zoe was overthrown by Constantine's father-in-law Romanos I. Lakapenos and sent to the monastery.

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personal data
SURNAME Zoe Karbonopsina
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ζωή Καρβωνοψίνα (Middle Greek); Zoe Karvounopsina; Zoe the coal-eyed
BRIEF DESCRIPTION fourth wife of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI. and mother of Constantine VII.
DATE OF BIRTH 9th century
DATE OF DEATH 10th century