Constantine Lekapenos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Constantine Lekapenos |
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| Emperor of the Romans | |
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15th-century portrait of Constantine, from the Mutinensis gr. 122 manuscript
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| Byzantine emperor | |
| Reign | 25 December 924 – 27 January 945 |
| Co-emperors |
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| Died | 946–948 |
| Spouse |
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| Issue | Romanos Lekapenos |
| Dynasty | Lekapenos |
| Father | Romanos I Lekapenos |
| Mother | Theodora |
Constantine Lekapenos (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Λακαπηνός, translit. Kōnstantínos Lakapenós) was a Byzantine emperor who ruled alongside his father and brothers. He was the third son of Romanos I Lekapenos, who was the main emperor from 920 to 944. Constantine became a co-emperor in 924 and held this title until 945.
Along with his older brother Stephen, Constantine helped remove their father, Romanos I, from power in December 944. However, just a few weeks later, the rightful emperor, Constantine VII, took back control. Constantine Lekapenos was then sent away to the island of Samothrace. He died there sometime between 946 and 948 while trying to escape.
Contents
Constantine's Life and Family
His Family Background
Constantine was one of the younger sons of Romanos I Lekapenos and his wife, Theodora. Some historical records say he was the youngest son, while others list him as the third of four known sons. His older brothers were Christopher Lekapenos and Stephen Lekapenos. Christopher was a co-emperor from 921 to 931, and Stephen was a co-emperor from 924 to 945.
Constantine also had a brother named Theophylact, who became the leader of the Church in Constantinople. His sisters included Helena, who married Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos, and Agatha.
Becoming Co-Emperor
Constantine's father, Romanos Lekapenos, became very powerful in 919. He became the regent (a ruler for a young emperor) for the young Constantine VII. Romanos then married his daughter Helena to Constantine VII. To make his family's power stronger, Romanos crowned himself senior emperor in December 920.
He then made his oldest son, Christopher, a co-emperor in 921. Later, on December 25, 924, Stephen and Constantine were also made co-emperors. This was a way for Romanos to try and replace the old ruling family with his own.
Life as Co-Emperor
After Christopher died in 931, Stephen and Constantine became more important. Even though they were co-emperors, they were still formally ranked below their brother-in-law, Constantine VII. In 939, Constantine Lekapenos married his first wife, Helena. She was the daughter of a high-ranking official named Adrian.
Helena died in January 940. A short time later, in February of the same year, Constantine married his second wife, Theophano Mamas. Constantine had a son named Romanos, but it's not clear which of his wives was the mother. This son later became a high-ranking official in the court.
The Plan to Take Power
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In 943, Stephen and Constantine Lekapenos disagreed with their father about a marriage for their nephew, Romanos II. Their father, Romanos I, wanted Romanos II to marry the daughter of a successful general. This marriage would have made the position of Constantine VII's family stronger.
Stephen and Constantine did not want this to happen. They convinced their father, who was old and sick, to fire the general in 944. Instead, Romanos II married Bertha, the daughter of a king from Italy.
As Romanos I grew older, the question of who would rule next became important. In 943, Romanos I wrote a will saying that Constantine VII should be the main emperor after he died. This upset his two sons, Stephen and Constantine. They worried that Constantine VII would remove them from power.
So, Stephen and Constantine began to plan to take control. Stephen seemed to be the main leader, with Constantine joining him. They gathered some supporters to help them.
The Coup and Its Aftermath
On December 16 or 20, 944, the brothers put their plan into action. They brought their supporters into the Great Palace of Constantinople during the midday break. They went into Romanos I's room and easily captured him. They took him to a nearby harbor and then to Prote, an island often used for exiles. There, Romanos I agreed to become a monk and give up his throne.
After removing their father, the brothers had to deal with Constantine VII. However, news spread in Constantinople that Constantine VII's life might be in danger. Soon, large crowds gathered outside the palace, demanding to see their emperor. Even foreign visitors in the capital supported Constantine VII. Stephen and Constantine had to give in and accept Constantine VII as the main emperor.
This new shared rule lasted for about 40 days. The three emperors appointed new leaders for the army and navy. However, on January 27, 945, their sister Helena, who was Constantine VII's wife, helped arrange another takeover. Stephen and Constantine Lekapenos were accused of trying to harm Constantine VII. They were removed from power, and Constantine VII became the sole emperor again.
Exile and Death
After being removed from power, Stephen and Constantine were first sent to the island of Prote. Later, Constantine was moved to Tenedos and then to Samothrace. He was eventually killed while trying to escape from Samothrace. The exact date of his death is not known, but it happened sometime between 946 and 948.
Sources
- "The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium".. (1991). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
- Treadgold, Warren (1997). [Constantine Lekapenos at Google Books A History of the Byzantine State and Society]. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2630-2. Constantine Lekapenos at Google Books.
- Lilie, Ralph-Johannes (2013). "Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit Online. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nach Vorarbeiten F. Winkelmanns erstellt".. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter.
See also
In Spanish: Constantino Lecapeno para niños
