LEON, son of Emperor BASILEIOS I & his second wife Evdokia Ingerina ([Sep 867]-11 May 912, bur Constantinople Church of the Holy Apostles). The Vita Basilii names "uxor…Eudocia cum liberis Constantino et Leone"[1091]. Liudprand names "Leo Porphyrogenitus, Basilii imperatoris filius"[1092]. Georgius Monachus Continuatus records the birth in Sep of "Leo imperator ex Michaele et Eudocia Ingerina"[1093]. It should be noted that Symeon Magister records the birth in Sep (maybe in 866 from the context) of "Constantinus ex Michaele imperatore et Eudocia Ingerina", but does not mention the birth of Leon[1094]. It is not known whether this relates to a birth in the same year, and if this is correct what the true identity of the son was. Settipani discusses at length the legitimacy of Emperor Leon VI, concluding that he was the son of Emperor Mikhael III by Evdokia Ingerina who continued to be the emperor's mistress (he says) until his death in 867, when his widow was married to co-Emperor Basileios to preserve appearances[1095]. There appears to be no way of confirming or denying this. Emperor Basilieios crowned him co-emperor in 869. He succeeded his father in 886 as Emperor LEON VI "the Wise/the Philosopher". Theophanes Continuatus records that "Leo…imperator" was 25 years and eight months old when he succeeded his father[1096]. He composed a large number of poems and orations. His major administrative achievement was the 60 volumes of new legal codes, ta ßas?????, based on the work started by his father. In contrast, Leo's foreign policy was disastrous. Following the removal of the Bulgarian market from Constantinople to Thessaloniki, engineered by Stylianos Zautzes who gained from the move commercially, Symeon I Prince of Bulgaria invaded Byzantium in 894[1097]. Leon VI agreed an alliance with the Magyars to effect a counter-attack on Bulgaria's northern frontier. Following an invasion by Byzantine general Nikeforos Fokas, and a blockade of the Danube by the Byzantine fleet, Symeon was forced to conclude an armistice. However, Symeon secretly allied himself with the Pechenegs for a joint attack on the Magyars, subsequently renewing his attack on Byzantium. The Byzantines were defeated at Bulgarophygon in 896, and obliged to pay tribute to Bulgaria[1098]. The Arabs virtually completed their conquest of Sicily by 902, and attacked Armenia and Cilicia in the east. Thessaloniki fell to them 31 Jul 904. These disasters were followed by the reconstruction of the Byzantine fleet, some successes in the eastern Mediterranean, but final defeat at Chios in Spring 912. Emperor Leo's series of marriages triggered major conflicts with the church. He dismissed Patriarch Nikolaos Mysticus who refused to recognise his fourth marriage[1099], turning to Rome for a dispensation which was granted by Pope Sergius III in 907, but this inevitably worsened his difficulties with the Orthodox church. Theophanes Continuatus records that Emperor Leon died 11 May[1100]. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "imperator Leo Sapiens Basilii filius et filius eius Constantinus Porphyrogenitus" were buried in the church of the Holy Apostles[1101].
m firstly (Manaura [883/84], repudiated [893/94]) THEOFANO, daughter of KONSTANTINOS Martiniakos & his wife --- (-10 Nov 897, bur Constantinople Church of the Holy Apostles). Symeon Magister records the marriage in the sixteenth year of the reign of Emperor Basileios of "Constantinus Leonis imperatorem" and "Theophanonem Martinacii filiam"[1102]. Georgius Monachus Continuatus records that "Leoni imperatori" married "Martinacii filiam…in Manaura"[1103]. Settipani speculates[1104] that an ancestor of Theofano's father married a sister of Emperor Mikhael II. Symeon Magister records that Emperor Leon fell in love with "Zoem Zautzæ filiam" in the third year of his reign, and married her in the seventh year of his reign when "prima…eius uxor Theophano" retired "in sancta Soro Blachernarum"[1105]. Theophanes Continuatus names "Theophano…imperatoris uxor" and in a later passage records her death after twelve years in power[1106]. Symeon Magister records that "Theophano Augusta" died "cum imperasset annos duodecim"[1107]. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "S. Theophano, prima uxor B. Leonis et eius filia Eudocia" were buried in the church of the Holy Apostles[1108]. She was venerated as a saint by the Orthodox church.
m secondly ([893/94]) as her second husband, ZOE Zautzina, widow of THEODOROS Gouniatzizes, daughter of STYLIANOS Zautzes & his wife --- (-May 899, bur Constantinople St Zoe). Theophanes Continuatus records that "Zautzam…Zoes eius filiæ" was Emperor Leon's mistress after "viro illius Theodoro, cognomento Guniazitze" was poisoned[1109]. Symeon Magister records that Emperor Leon fell in love with "Zoem Zautzæ filiam" in the third year of his reign, and married her in the seventh year of his reign when "prima…eius uxor Theophano" retired "in sancta Soro Blachernarum"[1110]. Her father became Emperor Leon VI's principal adviser, holding the new post of basileopator until his death in 896. Symeon Magister records that Emperor Leon crowned "alteram coniugem suam Zoem Zautzæ filiæ" after his first wife died[1111]. Theophanes Continuatus records that Emperor Leon crowned "Zoem Zautzæ filiam" and married her after the death of his wife, but that she lived one year and eight months "in imperio"[1112]. Symeon Magister records that "Zoem Zautzæ filiæ" was buried in May "exstructo templo titulo Sancta Zoe", dated to 899 from the context[1113]. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "Zoe, secunda eiusdem Leonis uxor" was buried in the church of the Holy Apostles[1114].
m thirdly (Spring 900) EVDOKIA "Baïana", from Phrygia, daughter of --- (-12 Apr 901). Theophanes Continuatus records that Emperor Leon married "puellam ex Opsicii themate…Eudociam" and her coronation as "Augusta", recording that she died giving birth to a male child[1115]. This third marriage was contrary to Byzantine law, Emperor Leon himself having confirmed the prohibition of third marriages by special law some year earlier, and triggered conflict between the emperor and the Church[1116]. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "Eudocia, Baïni cognominata, tertia eiusdem Domini Leonis uxor" was buried in the church of the Holy Apostles[1117].
m fourthly (9 Jan 906) ZOE Karbonopsina, daughter of --- (-after 918, bur Constantinople Monastery of St Euphemia). Theophanes Continuatus records Emperor Leon's fourth marriage to "Zoe" and, in a later passage, that a marriage ceremony was performed after the birth of their son Konstantinos, when she was proclaimed "Augustam"[1118]. The mother of "[Constantini] Porphyrogeniti" is named Zoe by Liudprand[1119]. Symeon Magister records that Emperor Leon married his fourth wife "Zoem…Carbunopsinam" in the seventeenth year of his reign, that the couple's son was born in the twentieth year of his father's reign, and that their marriage was blessed in the twenty-first year of his reign when Zoe was proclaimed Augusta[1120]. It is assumed that this source should be interpreted as meaning that Zoe became the emperor's mistress in the seventeenth year of his reign, in [903]. She was Emperor Leo's mistress from [902]. He installed her in the imperial palace 11 May 903[1121]. He had been unwilling to marry her for fear of risking even greater conflict with the Church, after the difficulties he had experienced over his prohibited third marriage, but eventually did so in order to legitimise his son Konstantinos as his heir. He named her Augusta three days after the wedding[1122]. She was sent to a convent in 912 by her husband's successor Emperor Alexander. She replaced Patriarch Nikolaos as regent for her minor son in 913. Cedrenus records that "mater Zoe ac tutores" administered the government for "Constantinus imperator Leonis filius" and that she was helped by "Constantinus cubicularius" who had married her sister and against whom "Leo Phocas magister et scholarum domesticus orientalium" plotted[1123]. Following the disastrous war with Bulgaria, she was set aside in 918 by Romanos Lekapenos. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "Zoe mater…Porphyrogeniti Constantini…Imperatoris, nepotis Basilii" was buried in "monasterio S. Euphemiæ dictæ Formosæ"