Theodora, wife of Romanos I

Theodora (died 20 February 922) was the wife of Romanos I.

Empress

Her origins and background are not known. She became the mother-in-law to Constantine VII in May or June, 919 with the marriage of the young Emperor to her daughter Helena Lekapene. Her husband Romanos was Drungarios (admiral) of the Byzantine navy and served as a Regent of their son-in-law.

Romanos was proclaimed basileopatōr ("father of the emperor") on the occasion of the marriage. In September, 920, Romanos was invested as kaisar (Caesar). On 17 December 920, Romanos was crowned co-emperor and in effect became the senior of the two associate emperors. Theodora was crowned as Augusta in January 921. She remained in the position until her death a year later.

Status as wife

She is the only wife of Romanos I mentioned in primary sources and is traditionally considered the mother of all his legitimate children. However there has been some question if she was only his second wife.

Symeon Metaphrastes identifies a certain magister Niketas as father-in-law of Romanos I. This would presumably make him father to Theodora. However Niketas is known from other chronicles to be the father of Sophia, wife of Christopher Lekapenos. Christopher was the eldest son of Romanos.

The reference is typically ignored as a probable mistake by Symeon. However "Familles Byzantines" (1975) by Jean-François Vannier interprets the comment to be correct and that both father and son had married daughters of Niketas. Which would mean Theodora could not be the mother of Christopher. Her son could not marry her sister.

The argument concludes that Christopher is the product of an earlier marriage and Theodora a second wife of Romanos.

Children

Her children with Romanos are considered to include:

• Christopher Lekapenos, co-emperor from 921 to 931, who was married to the Augusta Sophia and was the father of Maria (renamed Eirene), who married Peter I of Bulgaria; Christopher's son Michael Lekapenos may have been associated as co-emperor by his grandfather.
• Stephen Lekapenos, co-emperor from 924 to 945, died 967.
• Constantine Lekapenos, co-emperor from 924 to 945, died 946.
• Theophylaktos Lekapenos, patriarch of Constantinople from 933 to 956.
• Helena Lekapene, who married Emperor Constantine VII.
• Agatha Lekapene, who married Romanos Argyros; their grandson was Emperor Romanos III.

External links

• Her listing along with her husband in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley. The project "involves extracting and analysing detailed information from primary sources, including contemporary chronicles, cartularies, necrologies and testaments."