Michael II

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Michael II and his son Theophilos, founders of the Amorian dynasty.
Michael II and his son Theophilos, founders of the Amorian dynasty.

Michael II the Amorian (Greek: Μιχαήλ Β', Mikhaēl II ), also called Traulos or Psellos (Τραυλός, Ψηλλος, Latin Psellus), meaning "the Stammerer", reigned as Byzantine emperor from 820 to his death on October 2, 829.

Michael was born Amorion in Phrygia, into a family of professional soldiers peasants who received for their military service land from government. His family belonged to Judeo-Christian sect of athinganoi whose members were of mixed Cappadocian and Jewish descent. Michael's Jewish grandparents converted to Christianity but belonging to athinganoi allowed them to uphold many Jewish religious rituals.[1] Antiganoi were numerous in Anatolia and together with Armenians formed the backbone of the Byzantine army of that era. Michael began his career as a private soldier, but taking part in many of the Byzantine wars, he rose by his talents to the rank of general. His wife Thekla was daughter of his superior, the theme commander general Bardanes Tourkos who was of Armenian origin. His friend during these years was an ambitious and scheming officer of Armenian descent future Emperor Leo V the Armenian who married another of Bardanes Tourkos' daughter. Michael and Leo abandoned Bardanes Tourkos when he rebelled against Emperor Nikephoros I in 803. Michael was instrumental in Leo V overthrown of incapable bigot Michael I Rangabe in 813. Under Leo V. Michael rose to second in command of imperial army after the Emperor but he became disgrunted with Leo V when the Emperor divorced Michael's sister-in- law. Leo V on the Christmass Eve of 820 accused him of conspiracy, jailed and sentenced him to the death but postponed execution because the Christmass. Michael who enjoyed a reputation of a honest and reliable man, was much more popular in army than always scheming and treacherous Leo V and his partisans freed him. Michael organized the assassination of Leo V during the Christmas mass in Hagia Sophia.

Michael was immediately proclaimed Emperor on the spot still wearing the chains from the prison in his hands. Later the same day, he was crowned by Patriarch Theodotos I of Constantinople In his internal policy, Michael II supported Iconoclasm, but tacitly encouraged reconciliation with the iconodules, whom he generally stopped persecuting and allowed to return from exile. These included the former Patriarch Nikephoros and Theodore of Stoudios, who failed, however, to influence the emperor to abandon Iconoclasm. One of the few victims of the emperor's policy was the future patriarch Methodios I.

Michael's accession whetted the appetite of his former comrade-in-arms Thomas the Slav, who set himself up as rival emperor in Anatolia and successfully transferred his forces into Thrace, effectively besieging the capital in December 821. Although Thomas did not obtain the support of some of the Anatolian themes, he secured the support of the naval theme and their ships, allowing him to tighten his grip on Constantinople. In his quest for support, Thomas presented himself as the champion of the poor, reduced taxation, and concluded an alliance with Al-Ma'mun of the Abbasid Caliphate, having himself crowned emperor by the Patriarch of Antioch Job.

Michael II gained support of former Byzantine enemy Omurtag of Bulgaria who came to his the aid. Michael II forced Thomas to lift his siege of Constantinople in spring 823 and besieged him in Arkadioupolis (Lüleburgaz)and forced his surrender in October. Michael inhereted seriously weakened military, and was unable to prevent the conquest of Crete by the Arabs in 824, or to recover the island with an expedition in 826. In 827 the Arabs also invaded Sicily, taking advantage of local infighting, and besieged Syracuse. By 829 their invasion had failed and they were expelled from the island.

After the death of Thekla, in c. 823 Michael II married Euphrosyne, the daughter of Constantine VI. This marriage was probably intended to strengthen Michael's position as emperor, but it incurred the opposition of the clergy, as Euphrosyne had previously become a nun. Michael II died on October 2, 829.

Because of his Judeo-Christian origin Michael II was not popular among Orthodox clergy who depicted him as an ignorant and poorly educated peasant but Michael II was a competent statesman and administrator. He brought stability to Byzantine Empire for the first time in many generations and began restoration of Byzantine military. The system of government and military built by Michael II enabled the Empire under his grandson Michael III to reverse balance of power with Abbasid Caliphate and to withstood all the vicissitudes of Byzantine palace "revolution" and rule of some inept Emperors; Michael II's direct descendant de facto ruled the Empire for more than two centuries, bringing Byzantium to the height of her power as the mightiest state in the world.

[edit] Family

By his first marriage to Thekla, Michael II had a son:

Most Emperors of the Macedonian dynasty were de facto direct descendants of Michael II because Emperor Leo VI the Wise was a biological son of the last Amorian Emperor Michael III. [2]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ "Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam," vol. 2, 1980, p. 79.
  2. ^ Christian Settipani, " Nos Ancetres de l'Antiquite," Paris, Editions Christian, 1991, pp. viii, 10-17.
Preceded by
Leo V
Byzantine Emperor
820–829
Succeeded by
Theophilos

[edit] References

  • The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, 1991.