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Michael IV's Coup for the Throne
In April 1034, Michael IV, a Paphlagonian by birth, used the court influence of Empress Zoe and her eunuch brother John the Orphanotrophos to seize t…
Timeline
- 1034Constantinople palace · TurkeyAfter Emperor Romanos III died in the palace bath, Zoe married Michael IV the same day. This gave Michael legitimacy through the empress's status and paved the way for the coronation the next day; the coup's swiftness indicated careful prior planning.
- 1034Hagia Sophia, Constantinople · TurkeyZoe and Michael summoned Patriarch Alexios I to preside over the coronation. The patriarch initially refused to cooperate but changed his mind after receiving fifty pounds of gold, formally crowning Michael as Byzantine Emperor Michael IV 'the Paphlagonian'.
Sources
- Michael IV the Paphlagonian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_IV_the_Paphlagonian
- Chronographia — Michael Psellos
- A History of the Byzantine State and Society — Warren Treadgold (1997)