• Born: 905, Constantinople
• Married: 27 Apr 919, Constantinople
• Died: 9 Nov 959

  Research Notes:

Theophanes Continuatus records the birth of "Leo ex Zoe quarta uxore sua filium Constantinum" and his baptism "die sacro luminum". Symeon Magister records that "Constantini Leonis filii ex Zoe" was born in the twentieth year of his father's reign. He is named "Constantinum, Leonis imperatoris filium" by Liudprand. Symeon Magister records that "Constantinum filium suum in Porphyra natum (πορφυρογέννητον)" was crowned "die sancto pentecostes" in the twentieth year of his father's reign. Theophanes Continuatus records that "Leo imperator filium Constantinum" was crowned "Augustum". Theophanes Continuatus records that "Alexander…cum Constantino Leonis filio" succeeded after the death of Emperor Leon VI and ruled for one year and 22 days.

He succeeded his paternal uncle in 913 as Emperor KONSTANTINOS VII, under a council of regency headed by Patriarch Nikolaos. Theophanes Continuatus records that "Constantinus" ruled for seven years with his mother after the death of his paternal uncle Alexander, a further 26 years "cum Romano socero suo…subiectus", and 15 years alone. Following his predecessor's refusal to pay the annual Bulgarian tribute, Symeon Prince of Bulgaria invaded Byzantium and arrived at Constantinople in Aug 913. After demanding the imperial crown, Symeon was obliged to compromise faced with the impenetrability of the city's defences, and was crowned Tsar and Autocrat of the Bulgarians at Constantinople 913 by the Patriarch. Theophanes Continuatus records the invasion by "Symeon Bulgariæ princeps", his arrival at Constantinople, his meeting with Patriarch Nikolaos and his return to Bulgaria. The concessions granted to Symeon triggered a palace revolution in which Patriarch Nikolaos was replaced as regent in 913 by Emperor Konstantinos's mother Zoe, who cancelled the betrothal of Symeon's daughter to her son. Symeon invaded Byzantium once more, Adrianople submitting to him in Sep 914. He defeated the Byzantine fleet at Anchialos on the Black Sea coast 20 Aug 917, and the army at Katasyrtai near Constantinople in early 918, moving on to capture most of Greece north of Corinth. Following this disastrous war, Empress Zoe was replaced as regent by Romanos Lekapenos, whose history of more successful military campaigns provided a good basis for optimism that he could contain Bulgarian expansion. He married his daughter to the emperor, and was crowned co-emperor in Dec 920, Konstantinos VII being in effect demoted [20 May 921/Apr 922] although his name still appeared first on protocol lists. After Emperor Romanos I was deposed and banished by his sons 16 Dec 944, Konstantinos VII succeeded in imposing himself once more as sole emperor and in turn arrested and banished Stefanos and Konstantinos Lekapenos 27 Jan 945. Theophanes Continuatus records that "Constantinus…Romani gener" became emperor again in Dec "anno 6454". A prolific writer, he composed among other works an encyclopaedia The Book of Ceremonies, a history of the provinces of the empire De administrando imperio, and a biography of his grandfather Emperor Basileios I.

Cedrenus records the death 15 Nov of Emperor Konstantinos aged 54 years and two months and his burial "juxta patrem suum". Theophanes Continuatus records the death 15 Nov of "Constantinus Porphyrogennetus imperator" aged 55 years and two months. Emperor Konstantinos VII's De Ceremoniis Aulæ records that "imperator Leo Sapiens Basilii filius et filius eius Constantinus Porphyrogenitus" were buried in the church of the Holy Apostles, although this presumably represented the emperor’s plans for burial assuming that he was the author of this part of the text. ¹