In October 802 CE the highest court officials in Constantinople convened in the Hippodrome and declared the Empress surplus to requirements. Irene was around 45 years old so it would have been unlikely that she could have another baby because of her age. 803- Irene and Charlemagne's son, Theodosius, is born. Image from “Pala d’Oro,” Venice, c. 10th century. Elpidius fled to Africa, where he defected to the Abbasid Caliphate. We don’t know much about her parents, but she was very young when they passed, leaving the poor little girl at the mercy of different relatives. These small farmers of Anatolia owed a military obligation to the Byzantine throne. Next, Irene convened a Church council in Constantinople in 786 CE to put an official end to the destruction of icons (iconoclasm). Irene of Athens from the Byzantine Empire was a ruthless power-hungry lady to say the least. During this time, Charlemagne was at war with the Saxons, and would later become the new king of the Franks. A final crushing blow to Constantine’s ambitions was the protests following his divorce and subsequent marriage to his mistress Theodote, the so-called Moechian Controversy, in 795 CE. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Irene next had to subdue a rebellion led by Elpidius, the strategos of Sicily. With the army opposition dealt with, Staurakios accompanied Irene to the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in September 787 CE. A similar plan had already been attempted when Irene had arranged for her late son to marry Rotrud, the daughter of Charlemagne, but Irene had broken off the engagement in 787 CE. Although it is often asserted that, as monarch, Irene called herself “basileus” (emperor), rather than “basilissa” (empress), in fact there are only three instances where it is known that she used the title “basileus“: two legal documents in which she signed herself as “Emperor of the Romans,” and a gold coin of hers found in Sicily bearing the title of “basileus.” She used the title “basilissa” in all other documents, coins, and seals. Religious affairs seem always to have been foremost in the regent’s plans, and in 784 CE she made her former secretary Tarasios the Patriarch (Bishop) of Constantinople, despite him not yet being ordained. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. In 771 AD she gave birth to the future Emperor Constantine VI and she became his regent when he inherited the throne at age nine on Leo's death in 780 AD. Nevertheless, Irene was constantly harried by the Abbasids, and in 782 and 798, had to accept the terms of the respective Caliphs Al-Mahdi and Harun al-Rashid. Second Council of Nicaea - Wikipedia In so doing, the Pope rejected the legitimacy of Empress Irene of Constantinople: Charlemagne - Wikipedia Empress Irene was the wife of Leo IV and, on her husband’s death, she reigned as regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 to 790 CE. Since Irene didn’t have any siblings, she must have had quite a … As Constantine approached maturity, he began to grow restless under her autocratic sway. Irene was related to the noble Greek Sarantapechos family of Athens. By her marriage to Emperor Leo IV the Khazar, Irene had only one son Constantine VI, whom she succeeded on the throne. 9th century [edit | edit source] 803: Revolt of Bardanes Tourkos "Empress Irene." His eyes were gouged out, and according to most contemporary accounts, he died from his wounds a few days later, leaving Irene to be crowned as first empress regnant of Constantinople. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Irene’s unprecedented position as an empress ruling in her own right was emphasized by the coincidental rise of the Carolingian Empire in western Europe, which rivaled Irene’s Byzantium in size and power. Irene of Athens, Byzantine basilissa, is comparable to Egyptian queen Hatshepsut, and Russian empress Catherine the Great. Irene went as far as to send an official to instruct the Frankish princess in Greek; however, Irene herself broke off the engagement in 787, against her son’s wishes. A military governor in the Byzantine Empire. Constantine then ordered the tongues of all four of his uncles to be torn out. Although it is often asserted that, as monarch, Irene called herself “emperor” rather than “empress,” in fact she used “empress” in most of her documents, coins, and seals. The first of these, held in 786 at Constantinople, was frustrated by the opposition of the iconoclast soldiers. During Irene’s reign, the Arabs were continuing to raid into and despoil the small farms of the Anatolian section of the empire. Thank you! Irene of Athens was the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Leo IV and mother of Constantine VI, both strong iconoclasts.She ruled jointly with her son, Constantine, after the death of her husband Leo. 801- Wedding of Empress Irene of Athens and Charlemagne, starting the union between Byzantium and the Carolingian Empire. Thereafter, Irene is referred to in official state records as basileus, emperor, and not as empress, the first woman to so rule in her own right. She was brought to Constantinople by Emperor Constantine V on 1 November 768 and was married to his son Leo IV on … Genealogy profile for Irene of Athens, Byzantine Empress Irene Sarantapechaina (c.752 - 803) - Genealogy Genealogy for Irene Sarantapechaina (c.752 - 803) family tree on Geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Once her son was heireless and Constantine VI himself was removed from her path from one way or another, Irene of Athens became the first Empress of such a vast empire alone. The persecution of iconophiles had been a key feature of previous emperors' reigns, especially Irene’s father-in-law Constantine V, so the Empress could not be too harsh on the perpetrators and risk alienating family members at court. Empress Irene. Mark is a history writer based in Italy. Instead, they were permitted to repent of their sins and welcomed back into the Church now glittering once again with its precious icons. 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