Constantine X
Encyclopedia
Constantine X Doukas (or Ducas) (1006 – May 1067) was emperor of the Byzantine Empire
from 1059 to 1067.
n nobleman who may have served as governor of the theme of Moesia
. Addicted to endless debates about philosophy and theology, Constantine gained influence after he married, as his second wife, Eudokia Makrembolitissa
, the niece of Patriarch Michael Keroularios. In 1057, Constantine supported the usurpation of Isaac I Komnenos, but gradually sided with the court bureaucracy against the new emperor's reforms. In spite of this tacit opposition, Constantine was chosen as successor by the ailing Isaac in November, 1059, under the influence of Michael Psellos. Isaac abdicated and on November 24, 1059, Constantine X Doukas was crowned emperor.
The new emperor quickly associated two of his young sons in power, Michael VII Doukas
and Konstantios Doukas
, appointed his brother John Doukas
as kaisar (Caesar
) and embarked on a policy favorable to the interests of the court bureaucracy and the church. Severely undercutting the training and financial support for the armed forces, Constantine X fatally weakened Byzantine defences (by disbanding the Armenian local militia of 50,000 men) at a crucial point of time, coinciding with the westward advance of the Seljuk Turks and their Turcoman allies. Undoing many of the necessary reforms of Isaac I, he bloated the military bureaucracy with highly paid court officials and crowded the Senate with his supporters.
His decisions to replace standing soldiers with mercenaries and leaving the frontier fortifications unrepaired saw Constantine become naturally unpopular with the supporters of Isaac within the military aristocracy, who attempted to assassinate him in 1061; he was also unpopular with the general population, after he finally raised taxes to try to pay the army.
Constantine lost most of Byzantine Italy
to the Normans
under Robert Guiscard
, except for the territory around Bari
, though a resurgence of interest in retaining Apulia
occurred under his watch and he appointed at least four catepans of Italy: Miriarch
, Maruli
, Sirianus
, and Mabrica
. He also suffered invasions from Alp Arslan
in Asia Minor
in 1064, resulting in the loss of the Armenian capital and the Uzes
in the Balkans
in 1065, while Belgrade
was lost to the Hungarians. His desire to unify the Byzantine and Armenian churches only added to the chaos that allowed much of Armenia
to fall to the Seljuk Turks.
Already old and unhealthy when he came to power, he died on May 22, 1067 and his final act was to demand that only his sons succeed him, forcing his wife Eudokia Makrembolitissa to take a vow not to remarry.
, Constantine X Doukas had no known children. By his second wife, Eudokia Makrembolitissa
, Constantine X had the following issue:
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
from 1059 to 1067.
Reign
Constantine Doukas was the son of Andronikos Doukas, a PaphlagoniaPaphlagonia
Paphlagonia was an ancient area on the Black Sea coast of north central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia by a prolongation to the east of the Bithynian Olympus...
n nobleman who may have served as governor of the theme of Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
. Addicted to endless debates about philosophy and theology, Constantine gained influence after he married, as his second wife, Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Eudokia Makrembolitissa was the second wife of the Byzantine emperor Constantine X Doukas. After his death she acted as regent and became the wife of Romanos IV Diogenes...
, the niece of Patriarch Michael Keroularios. In 1057, Constantine supported the usurpation of Isaac I Komnenos, but gradually sided with the court bureaucracy against the new emperor's reforms. In spite of this tacit opposition, Constantine was chosen as successor by the ailing Isaac in November, 1059, under the influence of Michael Psellos. Isaac abdicated and on November 24, 1059, Constantine X Doukas was crowned emperor.
The new emperor quickly associated two of his young sons in power, Michael VII Doukas
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
and Konstantios Doukas
Konstantios Doukas
Konstantios Doukas , Latinized as Constantius Ducas, was the son of Byzantine Emperor Constantine X Doukas and younger brother of Byzantine Emperor Michael VII Doukas...
, appointed his brother John Doukas
John Doukas, Caesar
John Doukas was the son of Andronikos Doukas, a Paphlagonian nobleman who may have served as governor of the theme of Moesia and younger brother of Emperor Constantine X Doukas...
as kaisar (Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
) and embarked on a policy favorable to the interests of the court bureaucracy and the church. Severely undercutting the training and financial support for the armed forces, Constantine X fatally weakened Byzantine defences (by disbanding the Armenian local militia of 50,000 men) at a crucial point of time, coinciding with the westward advance of the Seljuk Turks and their Turcoman allies. Undoing many of the necessary reforms of Isaac I, he bloated the military bureaucracy with highly paid court officials and crowded the Senate with his supporters.
His decisions to replace standing soldiers with mercenaries and leaving the frontier fortifications unrepaired saw Constantine become naturally unpopular with the supporters of Isaac within the military aristocracy, who attempted to assassinate him in 1061; he was also unpopular with the general population, after he finally raised taxes to try to pay the army.
Constantine lost most of Byzantine Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
under Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard
Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...
, except for the territory around Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, though a resurgence of interest in retaining Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
occurred under his watch and he appointed at least four catepans of Italy: Miriarch
Miriarch
Miriarch was the title of a Byzantine personage known only for commanding the troops of the new emperor Constantine X Ducas in 1060 and 1061 in the Catapanate of Italy. Miriarch may have been a name....
, Maruli
Maruli
Marulis or Marulo was the Catepan of Italy from 1061 to 1062. He was the first recorded holder of that title since the disappearance of Argyrus in 1057...
, Sirianus
Sirianus
Sirianus was the Catepan of Italy from 1062 to 1064. He was the second recorded holder of that title since the disappearance of Argyrus in 1057, succeeding Maruli. He was appointed by Constantine X Ducas, the last Byzantine emperor who took an interest in recovering ground in Italia.-Sources:*Gay,...
, and Mabrica
Mabrica
Maurex or Maurikas was a Byzantine naval commander active in the latter half of the 11th century, chiefly in the Byzantine–Norman Wars. His identity is not certain, as several different people are habitually identified as the same person: a "Maurex" who was a wealthy sailor and magnate from...
. He also suffered invasions from Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan was the third sultan of the Seljuq dynasty and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty...
in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
in 1064, resulting in the loss of the Armenian capital and the Uzes
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
in 1065, while Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
was lost to the Hungarians. His desire to unify the Byzantine and Armenian churches only added to the chaos that allowed much of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
to fall to the Seljuk Turks.
Already old and unhealthy when he came to power, he died on May 22, 1067 and his final act was to demand that only his sons succeed him, forcing his wife Eudokia Makrembolitissa to take a vow not to remarry.
Family
By his first wife, a daughter of Constantine DalassenosConstantine Dalassenos (duke of Antioch)
Constantine Dalassenos was a prominent Byzantine aristocrat and general of the first half of the 11th century. An experienced as well as popular general, he twice came close to ascending the imperial throne and marriage to the porphyrogenita empress Zoe, and suffered a long period of imprisonment...
, Constantine X Doukas had no known children. By his second wife, Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Eudokia Makrembolitissa was the second wife of the Byzantine emperor Constantine X Doukas. After his death she acted as regent and became the wife of Romanos IV Diogenes...
, Constantine X had the following issue:
- Michael VII DoukasMichael VIIMichael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
, who succeeded as emperor. - Andronikos DoukasAndronikos Doukas (co-emperor)Andronikos Doukas , Latinized as Andronicus Ducas, was the third son of Byzantine Emperor Constantine X Doukas and younger brother of Byzantine Emperor Michael VII Doukas . Unlike his other brothers, he was not named junior co-emperor by his father, and was raised to the dignity only by Romanos IV...
, co-emperor from 1068 to 1078. - Konstantios DoukasKonstantios DoukasKonstantios Doukas , Latinized as Constantius Ducas, was the son of Byzantine Emperor Constantine X Doukas and younger brother of Byzantine Emperor Michael VII Doukas...
, co-emperor from c. 1060 to 1078, died 1081. - Anna Doukaina, a nun
- Theodora Anna Doukaina, who married Domenico SelvoDomenico SelvoDomenico Selvo was the 31st Doge of Venice, serving from 1071 to 1084. During his reign as Doge, his domestic policies, the alliances that he forged, and the battles that the Venetian military won and lost laid the foundations for much of the subsequent foreign and domestic policy of the Republic...
, Doge of VeniceDoge of VeniceThe Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
. - Zoe Doukaina, who married Adrianos KomnenosAdrianos KomnenosAdrianos Komnenos , sometimes anglicized as Adrian or latinized as Adrianus Comnenus, was a Byzantine aristocrat and general, and a younger brother of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos .- Life :...
, a brother of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
Secondary Sources
- George Finlay, History of the Byzantine and Greek Empires from 1057–1453, Volume 2, William Blackwood & Sons, 1854