In 802 the newly crowned Emperor Charlemagne proposed marriage to Empress regnant of the Eastern Roman Empire Irene...
Charlemagne was aiming to legitimise his Title by marrying Irene...
Empress Irene was fond of the idea but a coup of Patricians, Generals and high ranking Imperial servants lead by Eunuch Aetius (who was trying to secure the throne for his brother Leo but he failed...) who thought Charlemagne as an usurper of the Imperial Title and a Barbarian deposed Irene and exiled her to a convent replacing her with the Patrician Nicephorus as Nicephorus I Emperor of the Romans... Nicephorus concluded a treaty with Charlemagne known as "Pax Nicephori" which refused recognition on Charlemagne's Imperial Title and transfered Venice under Byzantine control...
WI Irene and Charlemagne were married? How is that altering Byzantine and European History? Any thoughts?
Charlemagne was aiming to legitimise his Title by marrying Irene...
Empress Irene was fond of the idea but a coup of Patricians, Generals and high ranking Imperial servants lead by Eunuch Aetius (who was trying to secure the throne for his brother Leo but he failed...) who thought Charlemagne as an usurper of the Imperial Title and a Barbarian deposed Irene and exiled her to a convent replacing her with the Patrician Nicephorus as Nicephorus I Emperor of the Romans... Nicephorus concluded a treaty with Charlemagne known as "Pax Nicephori" which refused recognition on Charlemagne's Imperial Title and transfered Venice under Byzantine control...
WI Irene and Charlemagne were married? How is that altering Byzantine and European History? Any thoughts?