Zoe Porphyrogenita (c.978-1050) bore the heavy burden of preserving her dynasty. Her colorful and tempestuous life included three marriages, countless intrigues, and even a brief period of joint rule with her sister.
The purple-born princess
Zoe was the daughter of Constantine VIII. As such, she was raised in the imperial palace and received an excellent education befitting her rank. She was also reportedly cherished by her uncle, Basil II.
The scholar Michael Psellos, a contemporary of Zoe and her younger sister Theodora, gave the following description of her:
“Zoe was a woman of passionate interests, prepared with equal enthusiasm for both alternatives—death or life, I mean. In that she reminded me of sea-waves, now lifting a ship on high and then again plunging it down to the depths. (...) Her eyes were large, set wide apart, with imposing eyebrows. Her nose was inclined to be aquiline, without being altogether so. She had golden hair, and her whole body was radiant with the whiteness of her skin.”
Prone to reckless spending, Zoe was also extremely generous, though philanthropy was part of an empress’s prerogative. She loved entertainment and was proud, quick-tempered, and capable of ordering blinding at the slightest provocation. In her youth, plans were made to marry her to Otto III of the Holy Roman Empire, but he died in 1002 before she could reach him.
Zoe thus remained unmarried for many years. The question of imperial succession became urgent, as Constantine VIII had no sons. Zoe was therefore the heir to the empire. To resolve the issue, he married her to Romanos Argyros in 1028. At the age of fifty, Zoe was wed to a man she had never met.
A heavy burden
As the heir to the empire and embodiment of imperial legitimacy, Zoe carried a heavy responsibility. Her sister Theodora also harbored political ambitions and became involved in conspiracies against Romanos. Zoe uncovered the plot and forced Theodora to retire to a convent.
Relations between Romanos and Zoe soon deteriorated. Romanos entertained unrealistic hopes of fathering a child with Zoe, despite her age. Under pressure, Zoe resorted to magical practices and amulets, but to no avail. Romanos grew contemptuous, neglected her, took a mistress, and barred her from access to the imperial treasury. This not only curtailed her charitable activities but also deeply insulted her dignity.
Zoe then became infatuated with a younger man, the future Michael IV, with whom she began an extramarital affair. In 1034, probably at Zoe’s instigation, Michael’s attendants drowned Romanos in his bath.
A new betrayal
Zoe, who was not present at the scene, immediately secured the throne for Michael IV and took control of imperial affairs. At first, their relationship appeared harmonious. However, Michael soon turned against Zoe. As the legitimate heir of the Macedonian dynasty, she represented a threat to him.
He confined her to the women’s quarters of the palace and dismissed her loyal eunuchs and servants. Michael no longer visited her, leaving her exposed to the abuse and threats of his brothers. Zoe endured this situation until Michael died of epilepsy in 1041. She then had little choice but to adopt his nephew, Michael V, and raise him to the throne.
Initially, Michael V treated Zoe with deference and honored her as senior empress. Soon enough, however, he repeated his uncle’s actions, forcibly tonsuring her and exiling her to a convent.
Revolt and joint rule
This proved to be a grave mistake. The citizens of Constantinople were outraged by the mistreatment of one of the last members of the Macedonian dynasty. Zoe’s generosity had earned her the love of the people. A revolt erupted, with men and women flooding the streets, the women lamenting loudly and dramatically.
Fearing for his rule, Michael V recalled Zoe from exile. But the sight of the empress in monastic garb only fueled public anger. At the same time, the crowd fetched Theodora from her convent and brought her to Hagia Sophia. There, Theodora consolidated her support and deposed Michael V, ordering his blinding.
For a brief moment, the empire had two empresses: Zoe in the palace and Theodora in Hagia Sophia, the last representatives of the Macedonian dynasty. According to Psellos, Zoe herself proposed joint rule. As the elder sister, she nonetheless took precedence as senior empress.
The sisters ruled together from April 21 to June 12 1042, issuing joint coinage and restoring peace to the city. Civil and military authorities worked in harmony under their leadership. They handled all aspects of governance, from settling lawsuits and managing taxation to receiving ambassadors.
Yet Zoe had no desire to share power with Theodora. She eventually sidelined Theodora and married Constantine IX Monomachos.
Perfumes and ointments
Zoe had little interest in ruling alone or involving herself deeply in state affairs. She proved accommodating, even welcoming Constantine’s mistress, Maria Skleraina, into the palace and treating her with honor. Skleraina received the title of Sebaste and exercised some political influence.
Zoe, Theodora and Skleraina remained in the palace, their apartments situated near Constantine's. Zoe never visited her husband without first ensuring he was alone. Both sisters continued to embody imperial legitimacy.
Zoe turned instead to chemistry. She had no interest in weaving or spinning. Her chambers were filled with boiling pots in which she prepared perfumes and ointments. She remained famous for her beauty and was said to look remarkably youthful. As a deeply pious woman, her preparations may also have served religious purposes.
Zoe dressed austerely and disdained ornaments. The only way to lift her spirits, it was said, was to remind her of her ancestors’ former glory. She died in 1050 at the age of seventy-two. In her testament, she remitted debts and granted amnesty to condemned criminals.
Throughout her life, Zoe made pivotal choices in defense of her dynasty. She survived countless plots and died while still empress. Her legacy endures in the mosaic she commissioned in Hagia Sophia.
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Further reading:
Connor Carolyn L., Women of Byzantium
Garland Lynda, Byzantine Empresses: Women and Power in Byzantium AD 527-1204
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