An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers
Eudocia Ingerina, Wife of Basil I
Lynda Garland
University of New England, Australia
Shaun Tougher
Cardiff University, UKEudocia Ingerina ('daughter of Inger'), arguably the central player in the establishment of the Macedonian dynasty, was the wife of Basil I (867-886), the first of this line. She was thus the mother of the two successive emperors, Leo VI (886-912) and Alexander (912-913) and grandmother of the renowned Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus(913-959). The dynasty which she founded, perhaps the most glorious in Byzantine history, was to rule the empire until the death of Eudocia's great-great-great granddaughter, the 'purple-born' nun Theodora, in 1056.
What is, of course, down-played in historical sources of the Macedonian dynasty is that this 'well-branched vine bearing the grapes of the Empire',[[1]] in order to achieve the accession of her new husband Basil, had been an active accomplice in the murder of her long-time lover, the twenty-seven year old Michael III (842-867), whom Basil then supplanted.
Eudocia and Michael III
Michael III 'the Amorian', a notable playboy emperor, had been born on 19 January 840.[[2]] As the only surviving son of Theophilus (829-842) and Theodora, following five older sisters -- Thecla, Anna, Anastasia, Maria and Pulcheria (the three oldest of whom had been crowned empresses by their father in the absence of a son)[[3]] -- Michael at his father's unexpectedly early death came to the throne when only two years of age.
Michael's mother, Theodora, daughter of Marinus, a drungarius or tourmarches (high-ranking provincial military officer), and his wife Theoctiste Phlorina,[[4]] originated from Paphlagonia. On 5 June 830 she had been married to Theophilus, supposedly after a brideshow, at which Theophilus rejected the poetess Kassia.[[5]] She brought her family to power with her: despite certain disagreements within the marriage (particularly over icon-veneration, Theophilus being a committed iconoclast), Theophilus clearly intended Theodora to act as regent in the event of his death, but included with her in the regency council the eunuch Theoctistus, logothete of the dromos, and Theodora's uncle Manuel the protomagistros; her brother Bardas, and possibly another brother Petronas, may also have been included.[[6]]
While Theodora and Theoctistus took the opportunity as regents to restore icon-veneration in 843 (for which both were canonised),[[7]]Michael's interests as he grew up were more liberal and less conventional. Certainly he was precocious by modern (if not by medieval) standards, and in 855, at the age of fifteen, was devoted to hunting and chariot racing and had already openly taken a mistress. This lady, Eudocia Ingerina, must have been born c. 840 or earlier and so was probably slightly older than Michael (for which there are many historical parallels at the Byzantine and other medieval courts). She was obviously of good family, perhaps a lady-in-waiting and one of Theodora's retinue, and her father Inger may have been related to the iconoclast bishop Inger of Nicaea, who held the see of Nicaea c. 825.[[8]] Cyril Mango has postulated that the family was of Rus descent and Eudocia therefore of Scandinavian origin (Inger being an approximate rendering of Igor or Ingvarr). In this case Eudocia may well have been a fair-haired 'Scandinavian beauty'.[[9]] We are told by various sources that her father Inger was of good family and she was also connected, presumably through her mother, with the Martinakioi, who, like bishop Inger, had iconoclast leanings.[[10]] Theophano, first wife of Eudocia's son Leo VI, also belonged to this family, being the daughter of Constantine Martinakes and so one of Eudocia's own relations. Eudocia herself chose Theophano as her son's wife and as her successor as empress.[[11]]
While mistresses at court were nothing new in this period, they were almost invariably (as far as we can judge) of good family, involving girls at court who were there in their role as attendants of the women of the imperial family. Significantly many of these became imperial mistresses and ended up marrying the emperor. This was the case for Theodote, mistress and then second wife of Constantine VI; as well as for Zoe Zaoutzaina and Zoe Karbounopsina, mistresses of Leo VI and his second and fourth wives respectively. Eudocia would also have been one of this class: a well-born, educated, attractive and socially competent teenager with a highly respected family background, and so of appropriate material for an imperial bride at a period when it was usual for empresses to be chosen from within the Byzantine elite.
The association between Michael and Eudocia Ingerina was not at all to the liking of the pious empress Theodora, and it is recorded that Eudocia was hated by both Theodora and her chief minister Theoctistus because of her 'impudence' or shamelessness:[[12]] this teenage starlet, who had 'entrapped' the greatest catch in the empire, was clearly not concerned to play down her relationship with the young emperor and made her position as imperial concubine more than obvious. So, to counteract this infatuation as quickly as possible, in that same year as Michael's liaison became notorious, Theodora is said to have arranged a bride-show to choose a suitable imperial bride. The fifteen-year old emperor was married to the more suitable Eudocia Decapolitissa, a lady of whose background we know nothing and whom Michael was to ignore for the rest of his reign. The marriage was stage-managed through the preliminaries of a bride-show, though Eudocia Decapolitissa was certainly of noble birth and belonged to court circles.[[13]] As with previous bride-shows, the potential groom had little, if no, say in the selection and the decision was orchestrated by Theodora and Theoctistus: Eudocia Ingerina -- as a noble girl of good family, well-known at court, and presumably intensely good-looking (as was expected of an imperial mistress)[[14]] -- was actually permitted to take part, but Michael was not allowed to choose her.[[15]] The fact that she was the emperor's mistress was obviously not considered to be an appropriate qualification and Theodora intended to see this young rival to herself and her daughters upstaged at court.
This unwished-for marriage may have been one of the contributing factors behind Michael's rebellion against his mother's regency. While still fifteen years of age, he deposed Theodora and Theoctistus, with the help of his uncle Bardas, Theodora's brother, who was to replace them as Michael's chief minister. The most shocking aspect of Michael's deposition of his mother was the murder of Theoctistus on 20 November 855. In a sense history was repeating itself, for Theoctistus had earlier helped Michael's grandfather, Michael II, assassinate his predecessor Leo V. Bardas did not probably intend the murder, but Michael egged on the imperial guard to kill Theoctistus though Theodora tried to protect her logothete as he cowered behind a chair.[[16]]
