Constantine Dalassenos (duke of Antioch)

Constantine Dalassenos (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Δαλασσηνός) was a prominent Byzantine aristocrat and general of the first half of the 11th century. An experienced and popular general, he twice came close to ascending the imperial throne and marriage to the porphyrogenita Empress Zoe (r. 1028–1050), and suffered a long period of imprisonment under Michael IV the Paphlagonian (r. 1034–1041), who feared that he plotted against him.

Constantine was born probably circa 965/970, the eldest son of the magistros Damian Dalassenos, who held the important post of doux of Antioch from 995/996 until his death in battle against the Fatimids at Apamea in 998. Constantine, along with his brothers Romanos and Theophylact, was also present at the battle. He was probably one of the two sons of the magistros who, according to the Christian Arab historian Yahya of Antioch, were captured by the Fatimids, taken to Cairo, and ransomed only in 1008.

Constantine reappears in spring 1024, when he held his father's old post as doux of Antioch, with the rank of patrikios. His career between 1008 and 1024 is unknown, but he probably held a succession of military commands. He enjoyed the favour of Emperor Constantine VIII (r. 1025–1028), who on his deathbed reportedly considered naming him his heir and wedding him to his eldest daughter Zoe. Constantine Dalassenos thus set out from his estates in the Armeniac Theme, where he was living, but before reaching Constantinople the situation changed: the emperor's advisors, who preferred a weak ruler whom they could control, had persuaded him to choose Romanos III Argyros (r. 1028–1034) instead, and to order Dalassenos to return home. Under Romanos III, Dalassenos served in the failed campaign of 1030 against Aleppo; Arab sources and the chronicle of Matthew of Edessa blame Dalassenos and his conspiring against Romanos for the expedition's failure.

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