• Born: Between 955 and 960
• Married: 14 Apr 972
• Died: 15 Jun 991, Nijmegen, Gelderland
• Buried: Köln St Pantaleon

  Research Notes:

A document entitled Luitprandi Legatio ad Nicephorum Phocam records Luitprand's mission on behalf of Emperor Otto I to negotiate a marriage between "filiam Romani imperatoris et Theophanæ imperatricis" and "domino meo filio suo Ottoni Imperatori Augusto". Her name is not given in the document. It is unlikely, given the date of the marriage of Emperor Nikeforos Fokas and Theofano (in 963) that any daughter of theirs would have been considered marriageable in the late 960s by Emperor Otto. It is therefore likely that the document was prepared before Luitprand's visit, in ignorance of the details of the emperor's family members. The identity of the proposed bride is therefore not certain. Prior to Luitprand's arrival in Constantinople, Emperor Nikeforos was murdered. According to Thietmar, his successor Emperor Ioannes Tzimiskes sent his niece Theofano back to Germany "not the desired maiden…accompanied by a splendid entourage and magnificent gifts". Western sources consistently refer to Theofano as "neptis" of Emperor Ioannes Tzimiskes, for example the charter dated 14 Apr 972 under which "Otto…imperator augustus" granted property to "Theophanu, Iohannis Constantinopolitani imperatoris neptim". Her exact relationship to Emperor Ioannes Tzimiskes is unknown. It is possible that she was a relative of the emperor's wife rather than of the emperor himself. Davids suggests that she was the daughter of Konstantinos Skleros and his wife Sofia, who was probably the sister of the first wife of Emperor Ioannes. An indication that this may be correct is that Theofano's second daughter was named Sophie, normal Byzantine practice being to name the first daughter after the paternal grandmother and the second after the maternal grandmother. It also appears to be chronologically sustainable. However, too little is known about the families of Emperor Ioannes and his wife to propose this as the only plausible hypothesis, especially as the word "neptis" could cover a wide variety of relationships. In addition, it cannot even be assumed that the wife of Konstantinos Skleros was the only individual named Sofia in these families at the time. "Otto…imperator augustus" granted property to "Theophanu, Iohannis Constantinopolitani imperatoris neptim" dated 14 Apr 972.

Lay Abbess of Nivelles. She was regent during the minority of her son 984-991.

Thietmar records the death of Empress Theofano at Nijmegen on 15 Jun and her place of burial. The necrology of Merseburg records the death "15 Jun" of "Theophanu imperatrix". ¹