Constantine (son of Theophilos)

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Constantine (right) and his grandfather Michael II on the reverse of a solidus minted by Constantine's father Theophilos.
Amorian dynasty
Chronology
Michael II 820–829
with Theophilos as co-emperor, 822–829
Theophilos 829–842
with Constantine (c. 833–835) and Michael III (840–842) as co-emperors
Michael III 842–867
under Theodora and Theoktistos as regents, 842–856, Bardas as de-facto regent 856–866 and with Basil I the Macedonian as co-emperor 866–867
Succession
Preceded by
Leo V and the Nikephorian dynasty 		Followed by
Macedonian dynasty

Constantine (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος, c.834 – c.835[1]) was a prince of the Byzantine Empire. He appears in his father's coins bearing the title despotes, although it's possible that he was crowned emperor soon after, as his relatives Anna, Anastasia and the future Michael III were also crowned shortly after their birth.[2]

Life[]

Constantine was the eldest son of Emperor Theophilos and Theodora. He had five sisters (Thekla, Anna, Anastasia, Pulcheria, Maria). As Theophilos succeeded his own father Michael II as basileus on 2 October 829, Constantine became heir to the throne. Soon afterwards he was crowned co-emperor and he appears as such on the coins of his father. He died in childhood and was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople.

There is little clarity as to the dates of his birth, coronation and death. According to the Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit he was born in the late 820s and died before 831, but his parents first met in May 830 and married the following month, suggesting a birth date of 831 at earliest.[3][4] In any case, only one emperor is mentioned in the De Ceremoniis for 831; Constantine is also missing on coins minted in 831/32 and 832/33, though this could mean he was only raised to co-emperor in 833. He must have died by 835, since in that year Theophilos was recorded as being without a male heir (Constantine's younger brother Michael III would be born in 840), a situation Theophilos attempted to rectify by marrying his infant daughter Maria to general Alexios Mosele, who shortly before this (possibly as early as 831) had been promoted to Caesar.

References[]

  1. ^ Garland, p. 99
  2. ^ Grierson, 1973.
  3. ^ Lilie, p. 568
  4. ^ Garland, p. 98

Sources[]

Bibliography[]

  • Grierson, Philip (1973). Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins. III. Dumbarton Oaks Papers. pp. 406–452.
  • Lilie, Ralph-Johannes; Ludwig, Claudia; Pratsch, Thomas; Zielke, Beate (2000). Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit: 1. Abteilung (641–867), Band 2: Georgios (# 2183) – Leon (# 4270) (in German). Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter. pp. 568–569. ISBN 978-3-11-016672-9.
  • Treadgold, Warren (1988). The Byzantine Revival, 780–842. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp. 283–287. ISBN 978-0-8047-1462-4.
  • Lynda Garland: Byzantine Empresses: Women and Power in Byzantium, AD 527-1204. Routledge, London 1999, ISBN 0-415-14688-7.
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