Maria of Alania
| Maria of Alania | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Byzantine Empress | |
| Tenure | 1071–1081 |
| Born | 1053 Kingdom of Georgia |
| Died | 1118 (aged 64–65) Byzantine Empire |
| Spouse |
Michael VII (1065–1078) Nicephorus III (1078–1081) |
| Issue | Constantine Doukas |
| Dynasty | Bagrationi dynasty |
| Father | Bagrat IV of Georgia |
| Mother | Borena of Alania |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox Church |
Maria of Alania (born Martha Bagrationi of Georgia;Georgian: მართა) was an Empress consort of the Byzantine Empire. She was married to Emperors Michael VII Doukas and (later) Nikephoros III Botaneiates. At the time of her marriage, Georgian Maria was one of only two non-Byzantine princesses to marry a Byzantine heir, along with Bertha (Eudoxia) of Italy, and the only one to give birth to an heir. It must be added, though, that Theodora of Khazaria had been married to Justinian II, though he was no longer heir at the time of their marriage, and that she had given birth to an heir, Tiberius, though he did not succeed his father. Her accession to the Imperial throne of the Eastern Roman Empire was considered a significant success for a newly unified Kingdom of Georgia, which would achieve regional influence comparable to that of Byzantium only during the reign of Martha's nephew, King David IV, who refused to carry a Byzantine title.
Being a daughter of the Georgian monarch, Bagrat IV, Martha was in line of succession to the Georgian throne behind her brother, future George II of Georgia. At the age of 5 years she was sent to Constantinople to further her education at the Byzantine court under the patronage of Empress Theodora in 1056. The latter, however, died later in the year and Martha returned home to Georgia. In 1065 she married the future emperor Michael, a son of Constantine X Doukas, and became an empress when Michael was enthroned in 1071. Their marriage was an important exception because members of the Byzantine imperial family usually married only Greeks, and among the few cases of them marrying non-Greek "barbarians" was Romanos II's marriage to Bertha of Italy and Justinian II to Theodora of Khazaria.
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