Symeon Magister names "Theophylactus Abastasctus" as father of "Romani…qui postea imperatorum tenuit".
No precise information has been found concerning the birth date of Romanos Lekapenos. However, given the likely chronology of the births of his children it is improbable that he was born much later than [880].
Drongarios of the fleet. He manoeuvred himself into a position of power, replaced Empress Zoe as regent in 918, married his eldest daughter to Emperor Konstantinos VII, and was granted the title basileopator. Theophanes Continuatus records that "Romanus" was granted "cæsaris…dignitate" 24 Sep (in 920), and crowned as Emperor ROMANOS I 17 Dec 920. He became primary emperor [20 May 921/Apr 922]. His successful military campaigns contained Bulgarian expansion. Peter Tsar of the Bulgarians renewed the war with Byzantium after his accession in 927 and raided Thrace, but in Sep/Oct he made peace under which Byzantium confirmed recognition of Bulgaria's borders established by the 897 and 904 treaties and Peter's own title of Tsar. The treaty was sealed by Peter's marriage to the emperor's granddaughter. After the peace agreement with Bulgaria, Emperor Romanos turned his attention to Asia Minor, where he recaptured Melitene in 931 and 934. Rus traders attacked coastal areas near Constantinople in 941 led by a "king named Inger" who negotiated renewal of privileged trading terms with Byzantium in [944], the text being incorporated into the Primary Chronicle.
Emperor Romanos was deposed by his sons 16 Dec 944 and deported to the isle of Proti where he became a monk. Theophanes Continuatus records that "Romanus imperator" was deposed by "Stephanum filium".
Theophanes Continuatus records the death 15 Jun "in insula…Proten" of "Romanus imperator" and his burial in the monastery there. Cedrenus records the death in July "sextæ indictionis" of "Romanus" and his burial "in Myrelæo".
Married firstly ---. The primary source which indicates that Emperor Romanos married twice has not yet been identified. If there was an earlier marriage, the name and origin of the first wife are not known. Kresten and Müller point out that Symeon Magister refers to Christoforos, domestikos of the Scholai, as gambros of "the emperor". They argue that the latter must have been the reigning emperor at the time, who would have been Romanos I, whose first wife could therefore have been the daughter of this Christoforos, which would explain the introduction of this name into the Lekapenos family. They also suggest that her name may have been Maria, the name given by Christoforos to his daughter (on the assumption that she was his eldest daughter). Zonaras records that "Christophori uxor Sophia" became augusta after "Romani uxore Theodora Augusta" died. This passage does not specify that Theodora was the mother of Christoforos: a comment to that effect would have been natural if it had been the case. 1
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