From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Theophanu

Otto II and Theophano

Theophanu (960 – June 15, 991) (Greek: Θεοφανώ Theophano), also spelled Theophania or Theophano, was born in Constantinople, and was the wife of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor had requested a Greek princess for his son, Otto, to seal a treaty between the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. The unwise reference by the pope to the ruler in Constantinople as "Greek" in a letter while Otto's ambassador, Liudprand of Cremona had been in Byzantine had destroyed the first round of negotiations. With the ascension of a new emperor who had not been personally been referred to other as Emperor of Rome, the treaty negotiations were able to resume. Theophanu duly arrived in 972, arriving in grand style with a magnificent escort and bearing great treasure. However, according to the chronicler Thietmar, she was not the virgo desiderata, the Imperial princess, that was expected. Theophanu is identified in the marriage contract as the neptis (niece or granddaughter) of Emperor John I Tzimisces (Ιωάννης Ι Τσιμισκής). However since John Tzimisces had married Theodora, the sister of Romanus II, she still may actually have been a daughter of Romanus and Theophano, who was Romanus' wife.

At one time it was believed Theophanu was the daughter of the Emperor Romanos II and his consort Theophano, but no mention is made of her being porphyrogenita (πορφυρογέννητη), purple-born, nor are her parents identified. It is unlikely that Theophanu was the daughter of any emperor -- the current theory is that her father was Konstantinos Skleros (Κωνσταντίνος Σκληρός), brother of the pretender Bardas Skleros (Βάρδας Σκληρός) and her mother was Sophia Phokaina (Σοφία Φώκαινα), niece of Emperor Nikephoros II (Νικηφόρος ΙΙ) and sister of Maria Skleraina (Μαρία Σκλήραινα), first wife of Tzimisces'. Accordingly she was of Armenian descent.

Theophanu and Otto were married by Pope John XIII on April 14, 972 at Saint Peter's and she was crowned the same day in Rome. Their children were:

• Adelaide, Abbess of Quedlinburg, born November or December 977, died 1040.
• Sophia, Abbess of Gandersheim and Essen, born 978, died 1039.
• Matilda, born 979, died 1025; who married Ezzo, count palatine of Lotharingia
• Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor, born June or July 980
• A daughter, a twin to Otto, who died before October 8, 980

Theophanu accompanied her husband on all his journeys, and issued diplomas in her own name as Empress. It is known she was frequently at odds with her mother-in-law, Adelaide of Italy, and this caused an estrangement between Otto II and Adelaide. According to Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, Adelaide was very happy when "that Greek woman" died.

Albert of Metz describes Theophanu as being an unpleasant and talkative woman. Theophanu was also criticized for her decadence, which manifested in her bathing once a day and introducing luxurious garments and jewelry into Germany. She is credited with introducing the fork to Western Europe - chronographers mention the astonishment she caused when she "used a golden double prong to bring food to her mouth" instead of using her hands as was the norm. "The theologian Peter Damian even asserts that Theophanu had a love affair with John Philagathos, a Greek monk who briefly reigned as Antipope John XVI.

Sarcophagus of Empress Theophanu

Otto II died suddenly on December 7, 983 and was buried in Rome. That Christmas Theophanu had their three-year-old son crowned as Otto III, with herself ruling as Empress Regent on his behalf. Henry II, Duke of Bavaria seized Otto in spring 984, but was forced to surrender the child to his mother. With the cooperation of Willigis, Archbishop of Mainz, and Hildebald, Bishop of Worms, Theophanu reigned until her death in 991.

She was buried in the church of Saint Pantaleon at Cologne. The chronicler Thietmar eulogized her as follows: "Though [Theophanu] was of the weak sex she possessed moderation, trustworthiness, and good manners. In this way she protected with male vigilance the royal power for her son, friendly with all those who were honest, but with terrifying superiority against rebels."

Because Otto III was still a child, his grandmother Adelaide of Italy took over the regency until Otto III became old enough to rule on his own.

• Davids, Adelbert. The Empress Theophano: Byzantium and the West at the turn of the first millennium, 2002. ISBN 0-521-52467-9
• Hans K. Schulze, Die Heiratsurkunde der Kaiserin Theophanu, Hannover 2007 ISBN 978-3-7752-6124-1

• Find-A-Grave biography