Description: Constantine X DoukasorDucas(Greek:,Knstantinos X Doukas,c.1006 23 May 1067), wasByzantine emperorfrom 1059 to 1067. He was the founder and first ruling member of theDoukid dynasty. During his reign, theNormanstook over much of the remaining Byzantine territories in Italy while in theBalkansthe Hungarians occupiedBelgrade. He also suffered defeats by theSeljuksultanAlp Arslan. Reign Constantine's parents are not mentioned in any primary sources,but some scholars theorize that he was the son of Andronikos Doukas, a nobleman who served asstrategosofPreslavduring the reign ofBasil II(r.9761025).Historians often give his birthdate asc.1006,as he is said to have died aged "slightly over sixty years".He was an academic, addicted to endless debates about philosophy and theology, and he gained influence after he married, as his second wife,Eudokia Makrembolitissa, a niece of PatriarchMichael Keroularios.In 1057, Constantine supported the usurpation ofIsaacI Komnenos, gradually siding with the court bureaucracy against the new emperor's reforms.In spite of this tacit opposition, Constantine was chosen as successor by the ailing Isaac in 1059, under the influence ofMichael Psellos.Isaac abdicated on 22 November and ConstantineX wascrowned emperoron the following day. The new emperor quickly associated two of his young sons in power,Michael VII DoukasandKonstantios Doukas, appointed his brotherJohn Doukasaskaisar(caesar), and embarked on a policy favorable to the interests of the court bureaucracy and the church.Severely undercutting the training and financial support for the armed forces, Constantine X disbanded the Armenian local militia of 50,000 men at a crucial point of time, coinciding with the westward advance of theSeljuk Turksand their Turcoman allies. Undoing many of the necessary reforms ofIsaac I Komnenos, he bloated the military bureaucracy with highly paid court officials and crowded the Senate with his supporters. His decisions to replace standing soldiers with mercenariesand leaving the frontier fortifications unrepaired led Constantine to become naturally unpopular with the supporters of Isaac within the military aristocracy, who attempted to assassinate him in 1061.He also became unpopular with the general population after he raised taxes to try to pay the army. At the very start of his reign, theNormansunderRobert Guiscardcompleted the conquest of ByzantineCalabria, but Constantine showed a resurgent interest in retainingApulia. He appointed at least twocatepans of Italy(MarulesandSirianus) and sent reinforcements on two further occasions (under "Miriarcha" andMichael Maurex). He also suffered invasions byAlp ArslaninAsia Minorin 1064, resulting in the loss of the Armenian capital,and by theOghuz Turksin theBalkansin 1065,whileBelgradewas lost to the Hungarians. Already old and unhealthy when he came to power, Constantine died on 23 May 1067.[16]His final act was to demand that only his sons succeed him, forcing his wife Eudokia Makrembolitissa to take a vow not to remarry. Family Constantine X andEudokia Makrembolitissain a reliquary ofDemetrius of Thessaloniki. By his first wife, a daughter ofConstantine Dalassenos, Constantine X Doukas had several daughters: Anna Doukaina, a nun. Theodora Doukaina, who marriedDomenico Selvo,Doge of Venice. By his second wife,Eudokia Makrembolitissa, he had the following issue: Michael VII Doukas, who succeeded as emperor. Andronikos Doukas, co-emperor from 1068 to 1078. Konstantios Doukas, co-emperor from 1060 to 1078, died in battle with the Normans in 1081[2] Zoe Doukaina, who marriedAdrianos Komnenos, a brother of EmperorAlexios I Komnenos.
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Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
End Time: 2024-03-08T18:05:50.000Z
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All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Historical Period: Byzantine (300-1400 AD)
Era: Ancient
Certification: Uncertified
