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Eudokia Makrembolitissa


Eudokia Makrembolitissa (or Eudocia Macrembolitissa) (Greek: Εὐδοκία Μακρεμβολίτισσα) (c.1021 – 1096) was a Byzantine Empress consort by marriage to the Byzantine emperor Constantine X Doukas. After his death in 1067 she acted as regent. She married Romanos IV Diogenes in 1068 and he became her co-emperor. She was also the niece of Michael Keroularios, Patriarch of Constantinople, whose sister had married John Makrembolites.

She married Constantine sometime before 1050. By him she had seven children; one died as a child and two, Konstantios and Zoe, were born after Constantine became Byzantine emperor in 1059. When Constantine died on May 22, 1067 she, as a crowned Augusta, was confirmed as regent for their sons Michael VII and Konstantios, along with Constantine's brother, the Caesar John Doukas. Michael VII was just old enough to rule on his own, but nevertheless was considered co-emperor with his younger brother, while Eudokia ran the administration of the empire.

She had also sworn on Constantine's deathbed not to marry again, and had even imprisoned and exiled Romanos Diogenes, who was suspected of aspiring to the throne. Perceiving that she was not able to avert the invasions which threatened the eastern frontier of the empire unaided, however, she revoked her oath and married Romanos, without the approval of John Doukas, the patriarch John Xiphilinos, or Michael VII. She approached the Patriarch John Xiphilinos and convinced him both to hand over the written oath she had signed to this effect, and to have him pronounce that he was in favour of a second marriage for the good of the state. The Senate then agreed to the marriage.


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