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The Reign and Ruin of Empress Irene: A Trailblazer’s Legacy in Byzantine History
During the time of Charlemagne, the first woman in the history of the Roman Empire was meant to ascend the throne of Byzantium. Empress Irene was a ruthless and ambitious ruler. Charlemagne intended to marry her to unite the Eastern and Western Empires.
The Byzantine Empire was the successor to the Roman Empire. In the 8th century, it faced a crisis due to the rising power of the Arab states. This period also saw doctrinal disputes among Christians. The iconoclastic movement, opposing the veneration of images and icons, emerged.
Amid these turbulent times lived Irene, a girl from a wealthy Athenian family. She was chosen to marry the emperor’s son. No one then imagined she would turn Europe upside down.
Irene of Athens — Wife of the Heir Apparent
The future Empress Irene was born into a well-known Athenian family, not particularly influential in the country. Emperor Constantine V knew that Irene’s family adhered to iconoclasm, likely one reason for choosing her as his son’s wife.
At the age of 14–15, the young woman arrived in splendor in Constantinople, welcomed by the people and court. The preparations for her marriage to the 19-year-old Leo IV lasted over a year. They married…