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Deposition of Michael V
In April 1042, Michael V's attempt to permanently exile Empress Zoe and her sister Theodora provoked a fierce backlash from the people of Constantino…
Timeline
- 1042Constantinople · ConstantinopleMichael V ordered Zoe exiled to the island of Prinkipo and Theodora sent to a monastery, and declared both empresses deposed. News of this provoked strong discontent among the populace and Senate, and around April 19 a large-scale uprising erupted demanding restoration of the Macedonian dynasty's legitimate line.
- 1042Constantinople · ConstantinopleThe rebels stormed the palace; Michael V fled to Hagia Sophia seeking refuge in vain and was formally deposed on April 21. He was subsequently blinded and imprisoned in a monastery for life. Zoe and Theodora were restored as empresses, and Byzantine politics entered a period of reorganization.
Sources
- Michael V Calaphates https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-V-Calaphates
- Byzantine Empresses: Women and Power in Byzantium AD 527–1204 — Lynda Garland (1999)