Reign of Zoe & Theodora: finding an emperor

Summary:
Zoe felt the need for an emperor, and was able to circumvent any objections of Theodora. Zoe first summoned Konstantinos Artoklines who, it was rumoured, was having secret assignations with her. He had been banished from the palace by Michael IV on the pretence of a more important office. But her plan to marry him and make him emperor failed when his wife poisoned him so that she would not be deprived of him. Konstantinos Dalassenos, though tonsured, was brought to the palace, being summoned for some other reason. But he spoke abruptly and expressed high-flown ideas about the empire, uncompromising in his attitudes. He was thought dangerous. Zoe therefore tended towards Konstantinos Monomachos, who was willing to mould his character to please her. She revealed her choice to more and more people, and all found him suitable 
Dates:
1042 
wife of Konstantinos Artoklines (Anonyma 117)
  • Poisoned her husband (Konstantinos 112) not out of lack of affection, but because she could not bear losing him to Zoe 1 who had summoned him intending to marry him and make him emperor (:) φαρμάκοις ἐξάγει τοῦ βίου Skylitzes 423.31-33
  • Poisoned her husband (Konstantinos 112 Artoklines) when his marrying Zoe 1 was proposed, not out of hatred but because she was going to lose him (:) οὐχὶ μισοῦσα μέλλουσα δὲ αὐτοῦ στερεῖσθαι Glykas 593.4-6
  • Was suspected of improvising the death of Konstantinos 112 by mixing a destructive drug for him through jealousy, so that she might not be deprived of her husband (Konstantinos 112) while he still lived and see another woman (Zoe 1) sleeping beside him (:) Zonaras 17.20.9
Emperor Konstantinos IX Monomachos (Konstantinos 9)
  • The votes inclined towards the Monomachos Constantine (Konstantinos 9) (:) Zonaras 17.20.11
  • One suitor died, one was despised for his family (Konstantinos 112), another suspected as dangerous (Konstantinos 63) and one story after another was devised; so despairing of all, Zoe 1 returned in her calculations to him (:) ἀπογνοῦσα πάντων ἡ βασιλὶς ἀνατυποῖ τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον τοῖς λογισμοῖς Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.4-8
  • Zoe 1 revealed her interest in him openly to her bodyguard and her household and when she saw that all, as if by agreement, voted him into power, she announced her plan to the senate as well (:) ἐπείδη πάντας ὥσπερ ἀπὸ συνθήματος εἶδεν εἰς τὸ κράτος τὸν ἄνδρα ψηφιζομένους Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.8-11
  • He was strangely given precedence by Providence and become emperor from exile, after the death of Michael 5, with distinguished men at the centre of Byzantine life passed over (:) Psellos Leichoudes 398
Konstantinos Dalassenos (Konstantinos 63)
  • But since he spoke severely and seemed wearisome in character and offensive, he was rejected [by Zoe 1] (:) Zonaras 17.20 6
  • Was brought [to the palace], as if he had been summoned for something else (:) Zonaras 17.20.5
  • He was brought to the palace after being summoned for some other reason; but he spoke abruptly and expressed high-flown ideas about the empire, remitting nothing of his lofty spirit (:) γενναιοτέρων ἐνθυμημάτων περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἁψάμενος, καὶ μηδέν τι τοῦ γενναίου καθυφεὶς λήματος Psellos: Chronographia VI 12.21-4
  • He seemed to everyone very difficult and overbearing in character: he provoked suspicion and was frustrated of his expectations (:) τῶν προσδοκιῶν ἀπώσθη ὑποπτευθείς Psellos: Chronographia VI 12.24-6
Konstantinos Artoklines, katepano (Konstantinos 112)
  • Was summoned by Zoe 1 who intended to marry and make him emperor and whom he was allegedly seeing secretly, but her plan failed when he was poisoned by his wife (Anonyma 117), not out of lack of affection but because she could not bear losing him (:) ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ λάθρᾳ τῇ Ζωῇ πλησιάζειν Skylitzes 422.28-423.33
  • Died poisoned by his wife (Anonyma 117) φαρμάκοις ἐξάγει τοῦ βίου Skylitzes 423.31-32
  • Was poisoned by his wife (Anonyma 117) τοῦ βίου ἐξάγει φαρμάκοις Glykas 593.5-6
  • His wife (Anonyma 117) was suspected of improvising his death by mixing a destructive drug for him through jealousy, so that she might not be deprived of her husband while he still lived and see another woman (Zoe 1) sleeping beside him Zonaras 17.20.9
  • By now pretty well everyone inclined towards him, but illness suddenly snatched him away and disappointed their hopes ἤδη που πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες ἐπιρρεπεῖς ἐγεγόνεισαν Psellos: Chronographia VI 13.12-14
  • When his marrying Zoe 1 was proposed, for it was rumoured that he had been seeing her, he was poisoned by his wife (Anonyma 117) not out of hatred but because she was going to lose him (:) ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ πλησιάζειν αὐτῇ Glykas 593.1-6
  • Was deprived of his hopes [by dying], and the empress (Zoe 1) of her desire (:) Zonaras 17.20.10
  • The empress (Zoe 1) breezed towards Konstantinos 112 at full sail, but illness suddenly cancelled her votes by snatching the man (Konstantinos 112) from life (:) Zonaras 17.20.8
  • He was deprived of the honour (of becoming emperor) by fortune and was despised as inglorious because of his family ὁ μὲν διὰ τύχην ἠτίμαστο, ὁ δὲ διὰ γένος καταπεφρόνητο ἀκλεές Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.4-5
  • Zoe 1 leaned towards him and when he was recalled (to Constantinople) he associated with her, shaping his character to please her (:) μετάκλητος γεγονὼς ὡμίλησε τῇ βασιλίδι, πρὸς τὸ ἐκείνῃ ἀρέσκον τὸ ἦθος μεταμορφώσας Psellos: Chronographia VI 13.10-12
Emperor Michael IV Paphlagon (Michael 4)
  • He removed Konstantinos 112 from the palace and moved him away from the City on the pretext of a more august office (:) σχήματι ἀρχῆς σεμνοτέρας Psellos: Chronographia VI 13.8-9
Emperor Romanos III Argyros (Romanos 3)
  • As his under-secretary, Konstantinos 112 was seen by him to be adept in administration (:) ὑπογραμματεύων δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ ῾Ρωμανῷ, οὐκ ἐκείνῳ μόνῳ προσήκων ὦπτο τοῖς πράγμασιν Psellos: Chronographia VI 13.3-6
  • Not being a particularly jealous man he turned a deaf ear to talk (of an affair between Zoe 1 and Konstantinos 112) (:) οὐ πάνυ ζηλότυπος ὢν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην φήμην λασιόκωφος γέγονεν Psellos: Chronographia 13.6-8
Empress Theodora (Theodora 1)
  • But either fear lest rule fall to Theodora alone (for some whispered that she was more suited to it because she caused Michael 5's overthrow), or desire for a man and sex persuaded Zoe 1 to introduce into the palace a man to be emperor and marry her (:) Zonaras 17.20.4
Empress Zoe (Zoe 1)
  • Summoned Konstantinos 112 Artoklines who, it was rumoured, was seeing her secretly, but her plan to marry him and make him emperor failed when his wife (Anonyma 117) poisoned him so that she would not be deprived of him (:) ἀστοχήσασα ἡ βασιλὶς τοῦ σκοποῦ Skylitzes 422.26-33
  • Her plan to marry Konstantinos 112 Artoklines having failed, she thought Konstantinos 9 Monomachos a suitable man, being homonymus to the dead candidate, recalled him from exile and was married to him by the head presbyter of the Nea (Anonymus 176) (on the 11th of June in the year 6550 (1042):ἑνδεκάτην τότε τοῦ Ἰουνίου μηνὸς ἄγοντος, τοῦ ,ςφν ´ ἔτους) συνάπτεται εἰς κοινωνίαν γάμου ἡ βασιλίς Skylitzes 423.33-48
  • Appointed Konstantinos 9 Monomachos krites of Hellas (:) δικαστὴν Ἑλλήνων προεχειρίσατο Skylitzes 423.37-38
  • When her marrying was being discussed she thought of Konstantinos 112 Artoklines, whom it was rumoured that she had been seeing, but he was poisoned by his wife (Anonyma 117) (:) ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ πλησιάζειν αὐτῇ Glykas 593.1-6
  • The empress (Zoe 1) breezed towards Konstantinos 112 at full sail, but illness suddenly cancelled her votes by snatching the man (Konstantinos 112) from life (:) Zonaras 17.20.8
  • Turned to Konstantinos 112 who was not from the most well born, nor numbered in the most illustrious dignities or most prominent magistracies, but in form worthy of rule and such as to be drawn towards love, although his spirit was not inclined to lust (:) Zonaras 17.20.7
  • But either fear lest rule fall toTheodora 1 alone or desire for a man and sex persuaded her to bring into the palace a man who would be emperor and marry her (:) Zonaras 17.20.4
  • Konstantinos 112 was deprived of his hopes [by dying] and the empress (Zoe 1) of her desire (:) Zonaras 17.20.10
  • Anonyma 117 was suspected of improvising the death of Konstantinos 112 by mixing a destructive drug for him through jealousy, so that she might not be deprived of her husband (Konstantinos 112) while he still lived and see Zoe 1 sleeping beside him (:) Zonaras 17.20.9
  • She revealed (her interest in Konstantinos 9) openly to her bodyguard and her household and when she saw that all, as if at one accord, voted him into power, she announced her plan to the senate as well (:) ἐπείδη πάντας ὥσπερ ἀπὸ συνθήματος εἶδεν εἰς τὸ κράτος τὸν ἄνδρα ψηφιζομένους Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.8-11
  • One suitor died, one was despised for his family (Konstantinos 112), another suspected as dangerous (Konstantinos 63) and one story after another was devised; so despairing of all, she returned in her calculations to Konstantinos 9 (:) ἀπογνοῦσα πάντων ἡ βασιλὶς ἀνατυποῖ τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον τοῖς λογισμοῖς Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.4-8
  • She tended towards Konstantinos 112 and when he was recalled to Constantinople he associated with her, shaping his character to please her (:) ἐνενεύκει γοῦν πρὸς τοῦτον ἡ βασιλίς Psellos: Chronographia VI 13.10-12
  • While among the people talk was divided, she anticipated public opinion and again attached the whole rule to herself; then she considered who was more illustrious by birth and eminent by fortune, either from the senators or the military (:) εἰς αὐτὴν αὖθις ὅλην ἀναρτᾷ τὴν ἀρχήν Psellos: Chronographia VI 11.8-14
  • When power inclined towards her, first of all (as Michael 61 has already said) she took precautions in the pressing circumstances by courting strength for herself not from afar but close at hand (:) τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ εὐλαβουμένη ὀξύτητα οὐ πόρρωθεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγγύθεν τὴν ἰσχὺν ἑαυτῇ ἐμνηστεύετο Psellos: Chronographia VI 18.1-4
  • 1043 summary: after the rise and fall of Michael 5, she held imperial power but needed a husband, and sent for Konstantinos 9 from Mitylene and then there occurred a wonderful meeting of imperial luminaries (:) Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 646-661
  • Finding no one among her own people (family?) suitable to reign, she transgressed the canonical stipulations, married Konstantinos 9, and placed him on the imperial throne (:) Aristakes 42.52
  • 1043 summary: after the blinding of Michael 5, she shared rule with her sister (Theodora 1); but the ruling moon needed a sun, and Konstantinos 9 was chosen (:) Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 435-447
  • She had decided that the Roman Empire was in need of a male emperor and since she also longed to give birth to heirs, she sent for Konstantinos 9 to sail from Mitylene (:) Manasses, Chronicle 6132-6140