Not many women ruled the Roman empire, but Irene ruled in her own name, 797-802. In the middle Byzantine centuries the wives of young male heirs were selected by assembling a number of the most beautiful young women in the empire and having them choose. It is not a surprise that an outstandingly beautiful young woman who was also intelligent and clever might outshine her husband. During the reign of Constantine V (741-775) his son Leo IV (775-780) married Irene. When Leo died their son, Constantine VI, was only ten. She took the role of regent. Constantine VI and Irene, struck between 780 and 797. 21 mm. 2.14 grams. Silver miliaresion. IhSUS XPISTVS ҺICA (Jesus Christ conquers) COҺS TAҺTIҺO SS IRIҺIЄ CΘЄU bA SILIS+ Constantine and Irene, by the grace of God, kings Sear 1595. DOC III.I Constantine VI 4b. When he was a bit older it became clear he supported the iconoclasts (who destroyed icons and had been in power since Leo III in 717) and she was an iconodule. The army was mostly iconoclasts and much of the populace of Constantinople was iconodules, so each had numerous important supporters. With typical Byzantine ups and downs, including a year-long spell in exile, she managed to last until she saw, in 797, that Constantine VI was unpopular enough that she could overthrow him. She had him brutally blinded (supposedly more humane than outright execution) and she took sole power. She ruled alone from 797 to 802. The story has many interesting twists and turns, not least of which involved a potential marriage to Charlemagne, King of the Franks who had, in 800, been crowned by the pope "The Holy Roman Emperor." Of course, in those days a woman, no matter how competent, was considered unsuitable as emperor. If she married Charlemagne the empire would be unified under a boorish westerner--unthinkable. She had to go. A palace revolution resulted in Nicephorus I (802-811) becoming the next emperor. Byzantine history sure is, well, Byzantine!
I definitely would not have messed with her. Having your son's eyes gouged out makes you a certain type of evil. Great coin though!
The pope crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in the year 800 as every schoolboy and schoolgirl knows. It was featured prominently in my 6th grade history class on the "important events" timeline along with the birth of Mohammed and so forth. It wasn't mentioned that Irene was emperor in the East and that the pope refused to recognize Irene's sole rule. (The reason behind the coronation, though I suppose that the religious schism of East and West had something to do with it).
