Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium.

Episode 79.

A Mother's Love

Last time we saw the impressive Empress Irene rule alone for seven years, despite all

of Roman history suggesting she wouldn't be able to.

She promoted Unix to run her administration, she brought swathes of thrace back into

the empire, and she overturned the iconoclast council of 754.

This was success beyond the wildest dreams she might have had when she was just an imperial

princess.

The power was intoxicating, and because a woman wasn't supposed to rule, she was constantly

on edge trying to stay a step ahead of any opposition.

The Byzantine Emperor was always a busy person, but it seems likely that in order to maintain

power, Irene focused on work to the exclusion of her responsibilities as a mother.

I'm not condemning her for that, as doubtless many male emperors had done the same.

But she was meant to be the regent.

She was supposed to educate her son in the ways of ruling, so that he could take over

one day.

She did take him on those two tours of thrace, but it seems as if her love for him could

not compete with the allure of absolute power.

As he approached adulthood, she became more reticent to prepare the ground for the succession.

He was not brought into the big meetings, he was not given any formal responsibilities,

and he was not sent on campaign alone.

...