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| Eudokia Ingerina | |
|---|---|
| Name | Eudokia Ingerina |
| Native name | Εὐδοκία Ἰνγερίνα |
| Birth date | c. 840 |
| Birth place | Constantinople |
| Death date | c. 882 |
| Death place | Constantinople |
| Spouse | Basil I |
| Partner | Michael III |
| Children | Leo VI the Wise; Stephen I of Constantinople; Alexander |
| Occupation | Byzantine empress consort |
Eudokia Ingerina was a Byzantine empress consort of the ninth century who became a central figure in the court of Constantinople during the reigns of Michael III and Basil I. She is remembered for her intimate association with Michael III, her marriage to Basil I, and the contested paternity of her sons who later shaped the succession of the Byzantine Empire. Her life intersected with major figures of the Macedonian dynasty, ecclesiastical authorities, and foreign powers involved in ninth-century Byzantine politics.
Eudokia was born in c. 840 in Constantinople into a family of Varangian Guard-adjacent or Rus' origin associated with the milieu of Basil I's early career, possibly linked to Inger-named lineages of Thessalonica-era immigrants. Contemporary chroniclers such as Theophanes Continuatus and George the Monk portray her as part of the urban aristocracy during the reign of Theophilos and the regency of Theodora. Her upbringing placed her within the circles connected to the Imperial court and the palace households that later produced officials like John the Grammarian and Bardas, and ecclesiastical figures such as Photios I of Constantinople. Relations among families like the Scleros family, Artemios, and the provincial magnates of Anatolic Theme informed her social position.
Eudokia became the mistress of Michael III during his reign, a liaison noted in sources like Symeon Logothetes and Genesios. Their relationship began while Michael was young and has parallels with courtly affairs involving figures such as Eudokia Dekapolitissa and the scandal surrounding Basil I's rise. Her intimacy with Michael brought her into contact with powerbrokers including Theoktistos, Emperor Michael II, and the influential military aristocracy tied to families like the Phokas and Kontostephanos. The affair influenced decisions involving Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars diplomacy, interactions with Basil I's household, and the alliances forged with Sergius of Naples and Petronas. Chroniclers link her to the intrigues that led to Michael's consolidation against rivals such as Bardas and coordination with clerics like Ignatios of Constantinople.
Under pressure from court factions and after political calculations involving Basil I and his patronage network, Eudokia married Basil I in a union sanctioned by figures like Photios I and negotiated amid tensions with Michael III. As consort, she participated in ceremonies alongside figures such as Theophano, attended audiences involving ambassadors from Abbasid Caliphate, Frankish Empire, and delegations from Sergius I of Amalfi, and became part of palace rituals recorded in Chronographia-style accounts. Her household interacted with officials including Stylianos Zaoutzes, Leo the Mathematician, and Zoe Karbonopsina-era networks. Court life under Basil mixed patronage of scholars like Photius with military campaigns led by commanders such as Christopher Lekapenos and Nikephoros Phokas the Elder.
Eudokia's position as consort conferred influence over succession politics that involved the Macedonian dynasty, the monastic opposition linked to Hagia Sophia, and imperial chancery affairs steered by Leo VI the Wise's supporters. Her proximity to Michael III and marriage to Basil I made her a pivot in disputes involving patriarchal elections and interventions by ecclesiastical figures like Ignatius of Constantinople and Photius I of Constantinople. Factional struggles with families such as the Skleros and Kourkouas affected appointments to commands and themes, and her status shaped courts' responses to external crises involving Bulgarian Khan Boris I and tensions with the Abbasid Caliphate and Sicilian powers. Decisions about imperial succession—engaging actors such as Stylianos Porphyrogennetos and legal framings influenced by Ecloga-era tradition—reflected her centrality.
Eudokia bore several children including Leo VI the Wise, Stephen I of Constantinople (note: ecclesiastical office), and Alexander; the paternity of these sons was contested in sources like Theophanes Continuatus and later historiography including Liutprand of Cremona-echoed narratives. Contemporary and later writers debated whether Michael III or Basil I fathered Leo and his brothers, a controversy that affected imperial legitimacy claims, dynastic claims promoted by Anna Komnene-era chroniclers, and legal precedents cited in succession disputes involving Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos. The question influenced alliances with aristocratic families such as the Phokas and Skleros and informed ecclesiastical responses from figures like Photios I and Ignatios.
Following Basil I's death and the ascension of her children, Eudokia retreated from active politicking, entering patterns similar to other imperial women such as Euphrosyne Karatzaina and Eudokia Makrembolitissa, seeking refuge in monastic patronage linked to Hagia Sophia and foundations associated with Mount Athos donors. Her later years occurred amid renewed court tensions involving Leo VI the Wise's policies, military leaders like Leo Phokas and Bardas Skleros, and diplomatic engagements with Kievan Rus' envoys and Holy Roman Empire envoys. She died in c. 882 in Constantinople, her burial reflecting rites practiced by contemporaries like Irene of Athens and commemorated in chronicles by Symeon Logothetes and Theophylact Simocatta-style narratives.