Prokopia
Encyclopedia
Prokopia was the Empress consort of Michael I Rangabe
of the Byzantine Empire
.
. The name of her mother is not known. Her only known sibling is Staurakios
.
during the late 8th century. He was a son of Theophylaktos Rangabe, admiral of the Aegean
fleet.
In 802, reigning Empress Irene
was deposed by an alliance of patricians and eunuchs. Their leader was Nikephoros, father of Prokopia, who at the time held the position of finance minister (logothetēs tou genikou
). On 31 October 802, Nikephoros was declared to be the next Emperor, making Prokopia a member of the imperial family. Her husband received the high court dignity of kouropalatēs.
On 26 July 811, Nikephoros was killed while fighting against Krum of Bulgaria
at the Battle of Pliska
. Much of the Byzantine army
was annihilated with him in what is considered one of the worst defeats in Byzantine history. Among the few survivors was Staurakios
, who succeeded as emperor.
Staurakios had not escaped the battlefield unharmed. A sword wound near his neck had left him paralyzed. Members of the imperial guard had managed to transfer him to Adrianople
but he never fully recovered from his wounds. The matter of Staurakios' succession was deemed urgent and two factions emerged at court. One centered on Theophano, wife of the Emperor, who reportedly sought to succeed her husband. The other centered around Prokopia, who intended to place her husband on the throne.
Prokopia failed to persuade her brother to go along with her wishes at first. He apparently favored Theophano. However Michael and Prokopia had gathered enough support at court to threaten Staurakios himself. Unable to face opposition at his condition, Staurakios declared his brother-in-law as his designated her and abdicated at the same time. He then retired to a monastery. Prokopia had become the new Empress consort.
Michael generously distributed money to the army, the bureaucracy, and the Church in an effort to establish himself. He also reopened negotiations with Charlemagne
and recognized the rival emperor as basileus
(emperor). However the war with Krum continued and would bring the downfall of the imperial couple.
On 22 June 813, Michael lost the Battle of Versinikia
. The Byzantine army was significantly larger than the Bulgarian but failed to use its advantage. Michael was among the first to retreat from the battlefield and other units followed his lead. Krum advanced to East Thrace
and Constantinople
itself had become a viable target. Whatever support Michael and Prokopia had managed to gain did not long survive the military defeat.
On 11 July 813, Michael abdicated the throne in favor of Leo V the Armenian
. Theophanes Continuatus
, the continuation to the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor
, records that Prokopia opposed the abdication to no avail. She had to retire to a monastery soon after the abdication. Her year of death is not known.
Ignatios was later declared a saint
. His hagiographythe records one of his sisters having helped iconodules during the persecutions of Theophilos
(reigned 829–842). However which one is unclear.
have theorised Michael I and Prokopia could be ancestors to later Byzantine Emperors or nobility.
For example, David Hughes has theorised such a descent by which Theophylaktos was father to a daughter, named Melissena. Melissena married Inger Martinakios. Inger was father to Eudokia Ingerina
. Only the relation between Inger and Eudokia seems to be confirmed by primary sources.
Another theory presented in the book Plantagent Ancestry (1928) stated that Theophylaktos was father to a son,Prokopios. Prokopios was father to Anna, supposed wife of Leon Skleros. Leon and Anna then being parents to Niketas Skleros and grandparents of Bardas Skleros
. However there are several uncertainties in trying to trace the ancestry of this rival emperor.
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Michael I Rangabe
Michael I Rangabes was Byzantine Emperor from 811 to 813.Michael was the son of the patrician Theophylaktos Rangabes, the admiral of the Aegean fleet...
of the Byzantine Empire
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...
.
Family
She was a daughter of Nikephoros INikephoros I
Nikephoros I or Nicephorus I, Logothetes or Genikos was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811, when he was killed in the Battle of Pliska....
. The name of her mother is not known. Her only known sibling is Staurakios
Staurakios
Staurakios or Stauracius was Byzantine emperor from July 26 to October 2, 811 in succession to his father, Nikephoros I, who had fallen at the Battle of Pliska...
.
Marriage
Prokopia married Michael RangabeMichael I Rangabe
Michael I Rangabes was Byzantine Emperor from 811 to 813.Michael was the son of the patrician Theophylaktos Rangabes, the admiral of the Aegean fleet...
during the late 8th century. He was a son of Theophylaktos Rangabe, admiral of the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
fleet.
In 802, reigning Empress Irene
Irene (empress)
Irene Sarantapechaina , known as Irene of Athens or Irene the Athenian was a Byzantine empress regnant from 797 to 802, having previously been empress consort from 775 to 780, and empress dowager and regent from 780 to 797. It is often claimed she called herself "basileus" , 'emperor'...
was deposed by an alliance of patricians and eunuchs. Their leader was Nikephoros, father of Prokopia, who at the time held the position of finance minister (logothetēs tou genikou
Logothetes tou genikou
The logothetēs tou genikou , often called genikos logothetēs or simply ho genikos , and usually rendered in English as the General Logothete, was in charge of the "general financial ministry", the genikon [logothesion] of the middle Byzantine Empire.-History and functions:The genikon was...
). On 31 October 802, Nikephoros was declared to be the next Emperor, making Prokopia a member of the imperial family. Her husband received the high court dignity of kouropalatēs.
On 26 July 811, Nikephoros was killed while fighting against Krum of Bulgaria
Krum of Bulgaria
Krum the Horrible was Khan of Bulgaria, from after 796, but before 803, to 814 AD. During his reign the Bulgarian territory doubled in size, spreading from the middle Danube to the Dnieper and from Odrin to the Tatra Mountains. His able and energetic rule brought law and order to Bulgaria and...
at the Battle of Pliska
Battle of Pliska
The Battle of Pliska or Battle of Vărbitsa Pass was a series of battles between troops, gathered from all parts of the Byzantine Empire, led by the Emperor Nicephorus I Genik, and Bulgaria, governed by Khan Krum...
. Much of the Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
was annihilated with him in what is considered one of the worst defeats in Byzantine history. Among the few survivors was Staurakios
Staurakios
Staurakios or Stauracius was Byzantine emperor from July 26 to October 2, 811 in succession to his father, Nikephoros I, who had fallen at the Battle of Pliska...
, who succeeded as emperor.
Staurakios had not escaped the battlefield unharmed. A sword wound near his neck had left him paralyzed. Members of the imperial guard had managed to transfer him to Adrianople
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
but he never fully recovered from his wounds. The matter of Staurakios' succession was deemed urgent and two factions emerged at court. One centered on Theophano, wife of the Emperor, who reportedly sought to succeed her husband. The other centered around Prokopia, who intended to place her husband on the throne.
Prokopia failed to persuade her brother to go along with her wishes at first. He apparently favored Theophano. However Michael and Prokopia had gathered enough support at court to threaten Staurakios himself. Unable to face opposition at his condition, Staurakios declared his brother-in-law as his designated her and abdicated at the same time. He then retired to a monastery. Prokopia had become the new Empress consort.
Empress
On 2 October 811, Michael I Rangabe succeeded to the throne and Prokopia became the Empress consort. She is said to have effectively dominated the court for his brief reign. She insisted on following her husband in campaigns but her presence reportedly was not wellcomed by the troops.Michael generously distributed money to the army, the bureaucracy, and the Church in an effort to establish himself. He also reopened negotiations with Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
and recognized the rival emperor as basileus
Basileus
Basileus is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs in history. It is perhaps best known in English as a title used by the Byzantine Emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority and sovereigns in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of...
(emperor). However the war with Krum continued and would bring the downfall of the imperial couple.
On 22 June 813, Michael lost the Battle of Versinikia
Battle of Versinikia
The Battle of Versinikia was fought in 813 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire, near the city of Adrianople in contemporary Turkey....
. The Byzantine army was significantly larger than the Bulgarian but failed to use its advantage. Michael was among the first to retreat from the battlefield and other units followed his lead. Krum advanced to East Thrace
East Thrace
East Thrace or Eastern Thrace , also known as Turkish Thrace, is the part of the modern republic of Turkey that is geographically part of Europe, all in the eastern part of the historical region of Thrace; most of Turkey is in Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor. Turkish Thrace is also called...
and Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
itself had become a viable target. Whatever support Michael and Prokopia had managed to gain did not long survive the military defeat.
On 11 July 813, Michael abdicated the throne in favor of Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian
Leo V the Armenian was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 813 to 820. A senior general, he forced his predecessor, Michael I Rangabe, to abdicate and assumed the throne. He ended the decade-long war with the Bulgars, and initiated the second period of Byzantine Iconoclasm...
. Theophanes Continuatus
Theophanes Continuatus
Theophanes Continuatus or Scriptores post Theophanem is the Latin name commonly applied to a collection of historical writings preserved in the 11th-century Vat. gr. 167 manuscript. Its name derives from its role as the continuation, covering the years 813–961, of the chronicle of Theophanes the...
, the continuation to the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor
Theophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
, records that Prokopia opposed the abdication to no avail. She had to retire to a monastery soon after the abdication. Her year of death is not known.
Children
Prokopia and Michael I had at least five children:- Theophylaktos (c. 792 – 15 January 849), co-emperor from 812 to 813. He was castrated and exiled to a monastery. His date of death was recorded by Theophanes Continuatus.
- Staurakios (c. 793 – 813). Died prior to the abdication of his father. Circumstances unknown.
- Niketas (c. 797 – 23 October 877). He was castrated and exiled to a monastery. Later emerged as Patriarch Ignatios of Constantinople.
- Georgo. Became a nun.
- Theophano. Became a nun.
Ignatios was later declared a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. His hagiographythe records one of his sisters having helped iconodules during the persecutions of Theophilos
Theophilos (emperor)
Theophilos was the Byzantine emperor from 829 until his death in 842. He was the second emperor of the Phrygian dynasty, and the last emperor supporting iconoclasm...
(reigned 829–842). However which one is unclear.
Possible descendants
Modern genealogists in search of descent from antiquityDescent from antiquity
Descent from Antiquity is the project of establishing a well-researched, generation-by-generation descent of living persons from people living in antiquity. It is an ultimate challenge in prosopography and genealogy....
have theorised Michael I and Prokopia could be ancestors to later Byzantine Emperors or nobility.
For example, David Hughes has theorised such a descent by which Theophylaktos was father to a daughter, named Melissena. Melissena married Inger Martinakios. Inger was father to Eudokia Ingerina
Eudokia Ingerina
Eudokia Ingerina was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Basil I, the mistress of his predecessor Michael III, and the mother to both the Emperors Leo VI and Alexander and Patriarch Stephen I of Constantinople.-Family:...
. Only the relation between Inger and Eudokia seems to be confirmed by primary sources.
Another theory presented in the book Plantagent Ancestry (1928) stated that Theophylaktos was father to a son,Prokopios. Prokopios was father to Anna, supposed wife of Leon Skleros. Leon and Anna then being parents to Niketas Skleros and grandparents of Bardas Skleros
Bardas Skleros
Bardas Skleros or Sclerus was a Byzantine general who led a wide-scale Asian rebellion against Emperor Basil II in 976–979.-Background:...
. However there are several uncertainties in trying to trace the ancestry of this rival emperor.
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