Byzantine Empire under the Amorian dynasty
Byzantine Empire
| |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
820–867 | |||||||||||||||
Capital | Constantinople | ||||||||||||||
Common languages | Greek | ||||||||||||||
Government | Bureaucratic semi-elective monarchy | ||||||||||||||
Emperor | |||||||||||||||
• 820–829 | Michael II | ||||||||||||||
• 829–842 | Theophilos | ||||||||||||||
• 842–867 | Michael III | ||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||
• accession of Michael II | 820 | ||||||||||||||
• assassination of Michael III | 867 | ||||||||||||||
|
The Amorian dynasty (or Phrygian dynasty) ruled the Byzantine Empire from 820 to 867. The Amorian dynasty continued the policy of restored iconoclasm (the "Second Iconoclasm") started by the previous non-dynastic emperor Leo V in 813, until its abolition by Empress Theodora with the help of Patriarch Methodios in 842.[1] The continued iconoclasm further worsened relations between the East and the West, which were already bad following the papal coronations of a rival line of "Roman Emperors" beginning with Charlemagne in 800. Relations worsened even further during the so-called Photian Schism, when Pope Nicholas I challenged Photios' elevation to the patriarchate. However, the era also saw a revival in intellectual activity which was marked by the end of iconoclasm under Michael III, which contributed to the upcoming Macedonian Renaissance.
During the Second Iconoclasm, the Empire began to see systems resembling feudalism being put in place, with large and local landholders becoming increasingly prominent, receiving lands in return for military service to the central government.[2] Similar systems had been in place in the Roman Empire ever since the reign of Severus Alexander during the third century, when Roman soldiers and their heirs were granted lands on the condition of service to the Emperor.[3]
Amorian dynasty | ||
---|---|---|
Chronology | ||
|
||
Succession | ||
|
||
History of the Byzantine Empire |
---|
Preceding |
Early period (330–717) |
Middle period (717–1204) |
Late period (1204–1453) |
Timeline |
By topic |
Byzantine Empire portal |
Michael II
[edit]Michael was originally a high-ranking soldier serving under Emperor Michael I Rangabe of the Nikephorian dynasty. He aided Leo V in his overthrow of Michael I, but, as relations worsened between Leo and Michael, Leo eventually sentenced Michael to death. In response, Michael led a conspiracy that resulted in the assassination of Leo on Christmas 820. Taking the throne for himself, Michael II was immediately faced with a revolt by Thomas the Slav, which became a civil war that lasted four years and almost cost Michael the throne. Michael continued the practice of iconoclasm, which had been reinvigorated by Leo V.
The reign of Michael II saw two major military disasters that would have permanent effects on the Empire: the beginning of the Muslim conquest of Sicily, and the loss of Crete to the Saracens.
Michael was not popular among the Orthodox clergy, but he would prove himself a competent statesman and administrator, eventually bringing much-needed stability to the Empire following decades of strife and warfare and even restorations of the military. He was succeeded by his only son, Theophilos, upon his death in 829.
Theophilos
[edit]War continued, and Theophilos personally led armies into Mesopotamia in 837, capturing Melitene and Arsamosata with a massive army numbering 70,000.[5] Further battles and attacks would take place until Theophilos died of disease in 842. He was succeeded by his son Michael III.
Michael III
[edit]His reign would see continued war against the Arabs and due to his pleasure-loving nature he was nicknamed "the Drunkard" by later chroniclers sympathetic to his murderer and successor Basil I.
Family tree
[edit]Nikephoros I emperor of the Romans 802-811 NIKEPHORIAN DYNASTY | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Irene of Athens empress of the Romans 797-802 | Theophano of Athens | Staurakios emperor of the Romans 811 | Prokopia | Michael I Rangabe emperor of the Romans 811-813 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bardanes Tourkos | Maria of Amnia | Constantine VI emperor of the Romans 780-797 | Anastasios Martinakios | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leo V the Armenian emperor of the Romans 813-820 | Barka | 1.Thekla | Michael II emperor of the Romans 820-829 AMORIAN/PHRYGIAN DYNASTY | 2.Euphrosyne | Inger Martinakios | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) Theophilos emperor of the Romans 829-842 | saint Theodora from Paphlagonia | (daughter of Inger Martinakios) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anna nun | Constantine prince | Michael III emperor of the Romans 842-867 | Eudokia Ingerina | Basil I emperor of the Romans 867-886 MACEDONIAN DYNASTY | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Parry, Kenneth (1996). Depicting the Word: Byzantine Iconophile Thought of the Eighth and Ninth Centuries. Leiden and New York: Brill. pp 11-15. ISBN 90-04-10502-6.
- ^ A. A. Vasiliev, History of the Byzantine Empire: 324–1453, p. 564.
- ^ A.A. Vasiliev, History of the Byzantine Empire, p. 566.
- ^ Timothy E. Gregory, A History of Byzantium, (Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2010), 227.
- ^ W. Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society, 440
- ^ Treadgold, p. 447
- ^ Treadgold, p. 450