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- Irene of Athens was an orphan from a noble family, and was married to the son of the current emperor, Leo IV, in 768. When Leo died in 780, Irene became regent for their nine-year-old son, Constantine, who was too young to rule as emperor, thereby giving her administrative control over the empire.
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Gold solidus showing Irene as regent along her son Constantine VI; Irene took control of the throne and ruled the empire solo until 790. Leo IV died on 8 September 780 and Irene became regent for their nine-year-old son Constantine VI.
When Leo died in 780, Irene became regent for their nine-year-old son, Constantine, who was too young to rule as emperor, thereby giving her administrative control over the empire. As imperial regent, Irene subdued rebellions and fought the Arabs with mixed success.
Oct 13, 2022 · When Leo died in 780, Irene became regent for their nine-year-old son, Constantine, who was too young to rule as emperor, thereby giving her administrative control over the empire. As imperial regent, Irene subdued rebellions and fought the Arabs with mixed success.
- She Was A Blue Blood. Irene’s path to the throne of the Byzantine Empire was a twisted one—but she did have a leg up the beginning. Born in Athens around 750, she was a member of extremely influential and noble Sarantapechos clan.
- She Was Famously Beautiful. Although Irene’s lack of parental guidance may have given her some horrible maternal instincts (you'll see), Irene’s well-to-do relatives nonetheless raised her properly inside the upper echelons of Greek life.
- She Was In The First Byzantine “Bride Show” When she was still a teenager, the current Emperor Constantine V invited Irene to travel to Constantinople, the center of the Byzantine Empire.
- She Became An Empress-In-Waiting. At the bride show, Irene’s great beauty helped her blow all the other high-ranking women out of the water. She and Leo married very soon after her arrival in Constantinople, tying the knot in November 769.
Feb 20, 2024 · When Leo IV died in 780, Irene became regent for their ten-year-old son, Constantine VI. This marked the beginning of her significant power, navigating a turbulent political landscape and external threats. Regent and Power Struggles: Irene’s regency was not without its challenges.
In September 780, Irene was made regent and co-emperor with her son Constantine VI who was not yet ten years old. In the words of the chronicler Theophanes: "On September 8 God unexpectedly entrusted the rule to the most pious Irene and her son Constantine, so He could work a miracle through a widow-woman and an orphan child."
Empress Irene was the wife of Leo IV and, on her husband's death, she reigned as regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 to 790 CE. From 797 to 802 CE she ruled as emperor in her own right, the first woman to do so in Byzantine history.
