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Irene of Athens (Greek: Εἰρήνη, Eirḗnē; 750/756 – 9 August 803), surname Sarantapechaena (Greek: Σαρανταπήχαινα, Sarantapḗchaina), [a] was Byzantine empress consort to Emperor Leo IV from 775 to 780, regent during the childhood of their son Constantine VI from 780 until 790, co-ruler from 792 until 797, and finally empress regnant and sole ruler of the Eastern Roman ...
The name Sarantapēchos, from Greek σαράντα saránta ('forty') and πήχυς pḗchys ('cubit'), was probably a reference to one particularly tall member who gave the epithet to his family and reflected a common Byzantine tradition of name-giving based on physical attributes, geographical origins or a particular trade. [6]
Byzantine Iconoclasm, Chludov Psalter, 9th century. [10]Christian worship by the sixth century had developed a clear belief in the intercession of saints. This belief was also influenced by a concept of hierarchy of sanctity, with the Trinity at its pinnacle, followed by the Virgin Mary, referred to in Greek as the Theotokos ("birth-giver of God") or Meter Theou ("Mother of God"), the saints ...
Iconoclasm (from Greek: εἰκών, eikṓn, 'figure, icon' + κλάω, kláō, 'to break') [i] is the social belief in the importance of the destruction of icons and other images or monuments, most frequently for religious or political reasons.
In the great dispute over Byzantine Iconoclasm, Athens is commonly held to have supported the iconophile position, chiefly due to the role played by Empress Irene of Athens in the ending of the first period of Iconoclasm at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. [29]
There was no single official term for the position of "empress" in Ancient Rome. Consorts were usually given the Latin title of augusta (Greek: αὐγούστα, augoústa), the female form of the title augustus. Insofar as augustus is understood as meaning "emperor", then a given woman could not become "empress" until being named augusta. [1]
An unpopular ruler even after gaining majority, he was engaged in power struggles with his mother, who had been declared empress. Eventually his mother's supporters deposed him, leaving her as sole empress. Irene (797–802), therefore was empress consort (775–780), empress dowager and regent (780–797) and empress regnant (797–80).
Nikephoros I (Greek: Νικηφόρος; 750 – 26 July 811), also known as Nicephorus I, was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811. He was General Logothete (finance minister) under Empress Irene, but later overthrew her to seize the throne for himself.