Eudokia Makrembolitissa, byzantine empress

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudokia_Makrembolitissa

Eudokia Makrembolitissa (Greek: Εὐδοκία Μακρεμβολίτισσα, romanized: Evdokía Makremvolítissa) was a Byzantine empress by her successive marriages to Constantine X Doukas and Romanos IV Diogenes. She acted as regent of her minor son, Michael VII in 1067, and resigned her regency by marriage to Romanos IV Diogenes. When he was deposed in 1071 she resumed the regency for her sons, but was soon forced to resign again.

Because she essentially ruled in her own right during her sole regencies and retained the title of empress, several modern scholars consider Eudokia to have been empress regnant in 1067 and some also in 1071.

1. Background and early life
2. Empress
3. Later life
4. Issue:

By her first husband, Eudokia had seven children, four sons and three daughters: 

• Michael VII Doukas, co-emperor from 1060 and senior emperor after 1071.
• A son who died in infancy.
• Anne Doukaina, nun.
• Andronikos Doukas, co-emperor from 1068 to 1078.
• Theodora Doukaina, who married Domenico Selvo, Doge of Venice.
• Konstantios Doukas, co-emperor from 1060 to 1078, died in battle with the Normans in 1081.
• Zoe Doukaina, who married Adrianos Komnenos, a brother of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
  • They had a son, Alexios, and two daughters, maybe named Anne and Alexia.

 By her second husband, she had two sons, most likely twins: 

• Nikephoros Diogenes, blinded by order of Alexios I Comnenus on charges of treason.
• Leo Diogenes, died in battle.

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Chapter 20. MAKREMBOLITES
https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTINE%20NOBILITY.htm#EvdokiaMa...

• 3. IOANNES Makrembolites (-after 1040). Cedrenus records that "Michaele Cerulario et Joanne Macrempolita" rebelled against Emperor Mikhael IV, dated to [1040/41] from the context[438]. m --- Keroularie, daughter of ---. The name of Ioannes's wife is not known. Her family origin is confirmed by the Historia of Mikhael Attaliota which records that "vestiarius Constantinus Ducas" married "neptis patriarchæ [Kerularii]"[439]. Ioannes Makrembolites & his wife had one child:
  • a) EVDOKIA Makrembolitissa (-1096). Psellus names "Eudocia" as wife of Emperor Konstantinos[440]. The Historia of Mikhael Attaliota records that "vestiarius Constantinus Ducas" married "neptis patriarchæ [Kerularii]"[441]. The primary source which confirms her parentage has not yet been identified. Nikeforos Bryennios names "eius coniuge Eudocia, cum Michaele, Andronico et Constantino filiis" as survivors of "Ducas"[442]. Regent of Byzantium for her son Emperor Mikhael VII 1067. Although her husband on his deathbed made her swear she would never remarry[443], she married secondly his successor. Psellus records the second marriage of "Eudocia" and "Romanus, the son of Diogenes"[444]. On the overthrow of Emperor Romanos IV, she ruled jointly with her son, but was soon overthrown and confined to a convent.
    m firstly (before 1050) as his second wife, KONSTANTINOS Doukas, son of --- ([1006/07]-22 May 1067). He succeeded in 1059 as Emperor KONSTANTINOS X.
    m secondly (1 Jan 1068) as his second wife, ROMANOS Diogenes, son of --- Diogenes & his wife --- Argyre (-Prote Monastery Summer 1072). On his marriage, he immediately succeeded as Emperor ROMANOS IV.