WI another Empress regnant in Byzantine Empire in 811 AD?

Following the disastrous battle of Pliska new Emperor Staurakios was unable to exercise actual authority due to the wound that paralysed him. As his condition worsened, the court was split between the factions of his wife Theophano and his sister Prokopia, who hoped that her husband Michael Rangabes would be chosen as the emperor's heir. As it became clear that Staurakios intended to designate Theophano as his successor (or else to abolish the empire and declare a republic), the supporters of Michael forced the emperor to abdicate on October 2 811. Staurakios retired to a monastery becoming a monk and died from the effects of his wound on January 11, 812. Michael Rangabe became emperor, as Michael I.
WI Staurakios's blackmail to to the court was succesfull (plus he had to be faster than his sister eliminating Michael Rangabes threat) and his wife Theophano was proclaimed Empress regnant in 811? Interestingly Theophano was the niece of Irene the previous Empress regnant who was deposed in 802 by Staurakios's father Niceforus I... Any thoughts on that? Would Thophano as Empress benefited the Empire or a woman in the Imperial Throne would have weakened it?
 
Weakened it. In the eyes of contemporaries, a woman ruler means that the state is effectively empty; this means that Charlemagne could feel free to attack the Empire's holdings in the Adriatic, to provide them with a genuine "Roman Emperor". If Theophano proves a competent Empress, then she can steady the ship somewhat, but since Byzantium never had such a thing in OTL, I can't see her being a particuarly good ruler here. She'll get overthrown, possibly by Michael the Phyrgian, possibly by someone else.
 
Weakened it. In the eyes of contemporaries, a woman ruler means that the state is effectively empty; this means that Charlemagne could feel free to attack the Empire's holdings in the Adriatic, to provide them with a genuine "Roman Emperor". If Theophano proves a competent Empress, then she can steady the ship somewhat, but since Byzantium never had such a thing in OTL, I can't see her being a particuarly good ruler here. She'll get overthrown, possibly by Michael the Phyrgian, possibly by someone else.

Maybe Byzantium could have its own "Elizabeth I" if Theophano proves to be competent...:D:D:D
 
Possibly, but Byzantium is no Tudor England. Elizabeth I came to the throne as she was seen as the last legitimate successor of the Houses of York and Lancaster (aside from the infant Mary Queen of Scots, that is). Byzantium meanwhile had no problem with millitary strongmen with no Imperial blood siezing the throne by force, something that simply didn't happen in England.
 
I guess that if Theophano manages to become Empress regnant she had to remain a widow for the rest of her life... If she married anyone with power she risked being deposed and propably exiled... But being unmarried raises the issue of succession... She had to associate someone with the throne but not some powerful guy... someone trusted and obedient...
Plus with a woman in the throne relations with West would be strained according to her aunt's Irene the Athenian precedent...
 
Since this is Byzantium, there's an easy answer for that: Eunuchs. They can serve as a male companion, be extremely loyal, and are no threat since they can't take the throne or produce heirs.
 
Not so fast. The caulker guy's eunuch uncle did a hell of a lot of damage.
 
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Not so fast. The caulker guy's eunuch uncle did a hell of a lot of damage.

Indeed... Michael's V uncle Ioannes Orphanotrophus was the power behind the trhone during his nephew's brief reign and he was the man who exiled Empress Zoe... However he managed to escape mob's wrath since the people of Constantinople didnt liked Michael V and thought of him as a responsible for Zoe's exile...
In Theophano's case she cant marry a eunuch (since this marriage would be canonically null and void) but she can choose a trusted eunuch to be the power behind the throne... But she has to make sure that he doesnt have any ambitious family members who he can promote...
 
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