Constantine VII, Born in the Purple

Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos baptizes Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus from a 11th or 12th century illuminated manuscript known as the Madrid Scylitzes (ca. 1040-ca. 1100) which chronicles the reigns of Byzantine emperors from the death of Nicephorus I in AD 811 to Michael VI in 1057. Constantine VII is called Porphyrogenitus on my latest coin, struck in Constantinople. "Born in the Purple", emphasizes his legitimacy. He was the illegitimate child of Leo VI however, his mother gave birth to him in the Purple Room of the imperial palace. Leo VI did marry Zoe after the birth of Constantine - but as his 4th marriage, this marriage was also of questionable legitimacy.

Byzantine Empire, Constantinopolis mint, Leo VI "the Wise" (886–912), AE Follis (4.78g, 24.5mm), dated 886–912. Obv: +LЄOn bASILЄVS ROm', bust of Leo VI facing, with short beard, wearing crown ornamented with cross, and chlamys, holding akakia in his left hand. Rev: +LЄOn / Єn ΘЄΟ bΑ/SILЄVS R/OmЄΟҺ, legend in four lines. Ref: DOC 8; SB 1729.

Constantine's Horoscope AD 905

If the links made by David Pingree between a 10th century horoscope and Constantine VII are correct, there is an interesting document from the birth of Constantine, written about an hour before dawn of 2 September AD 905, predicting his future:

lot of livelihood        Aquarius 8;200 (VIII 5)

lot of marriage          Taurus 18;400 (XIII 4)

lot of friendship        Virgo 4;370 (XIV 3)

lot of love              Scorpio 6;350 (XIV 3)

lot of military service  Taurus 4;23 (XVI 1)

Not too surprisingly, this horoscope doesn't predict well many elements of the future: it doesn't predict his siblings correctly, or his marriages and children, and it is off by 5 years predicting his death. However it is largely correct in its portrayal of what can be expected of his character, his wealth, his social position, his activities, his friends, his journeys, and his military service. Apparently he also wasn't a good looking child, which is also aligned with the horoscope.

Miliaresion

This is the only coin to explicitly use this moniker (ΠORFVROG on line 2 of the reverse) for Constantine VII and this is the first time this appears on any Byzantine coin. I find this curious, and wonder if, given its use late in his reign, perhaps this is more in support for his son Romanus II as dynastic heir rather than any reinforcement of the legitimacy of a ruler who has reigned for more than 30 years. This coin is a silver miliaresion from the "period VIII" defined by Wroth in the British Museum Collection as April AD 945- November AD 949. Also defined as Class 6 in Dumbarton Oaks Research Library (DOC), AD 945-949. The period of Constantine VII and his son Romanus II as read on the reverse.

History

There is a long calendar of events from his reign, very nicely and read-ably documented in the DOC reference. For a hyper-short summary of the historical context: in May 908 Constantine VII became co-ruler with his father Leo VI and his uncle Alexander, younger brother to Leo VI. He was about 3 years old in AD 908. He became sole ruler at the age of seven when his uncle Alexander died. His mother, Zoe Karbonopsina, was regent during his first years as King.

Emperor Alexander, on his deathbed, passes imperial power to his nephew Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus In 919, Romanus Lekapenus, aka Romanus I, a naval commander, becomes commander of the palace guard and solidifies his political position by marrying his daughter Helena Lekapeneto the 13 year old Constantine VII. Romanus is named co-ruler a year later, and Zoe is sent to a monastery. Skipping quickly through a lot of drama with Romanus I's sons, Christopher, Stephen and Constantine, who can also be found on coins from this period with much to discuss about who was the most senior ruler shown on coins. By AD 945 Constantine VII is again sole emperor and elevates his six year old son by Helena, Romanus II, to co-Augustus. Constantine is known as an accomplished ruler, an important scholar and a patron of literature and art. Several of his works are available to read on Archive.org. He fell ill in the autumn of 959 while away from the capital, returned to Constantinople by litter at the end of October, and died on 9 November. Skylitzes reports the illness as due "either of some physical defect or of being poisoned by his son again" (Skylitzes, Synopsis Historion, Constantine VII 17, trans. Wortley, p. 238). Modern historians generally treat the poisoning story as court rumor rather than fact.

Constantine was also a working historian in his own right. His treatise De Administrando Imperio, compiled as a foreign-policy handbook for Romanus II, devotes its ninth chapter to the Rus'. It describes Slavic tributaries felling trees each winter, floating the resulting boats down the Dnieper to Kiev, which Constantine calls Kioava, and selling them there to Rus' traders bound for Constantinople. The chapter is among the earliest surviving texts to name Kiev.

Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, with son Romanus II. 913-959, AR Miliaresion, Constantinople mint. Struck 945-949 Obv: IESuS xRIStVS nIcA, Cross-crosslet set on three steps; globus below Rev:+ COҺST’ τ’/ ΠORFVROG,/ CЄ ROmAҺO/ ЄҺ X’ω EVSEЬ’/ Ь’ RωmEOҺ in five lines Obv Translation: Jesus Christ Victor Rev Translation: Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Romanus, by the grace of Christ, Pius, Emperors of the Romans DOC is unequivocal: “The small lettering and the redesigned cross on the reverse make it clear that they belong to the period of Romanus II, not that of Romanus I”.

I am surprised that all the CNG coins of this type (e.g. this one) are listed as Romanus I - I usually trust CNG attributions, so it does make me wonder if there is more recent information or some controversy here? 

BYZANTINE EMPIRE. John I Tzimiskes, 969-976 AD AR Miliaresion (2.54 gm) of Constantinople. Facing bust in medallion at center of cross / Legend. S.1792.

I will wrap up with this coin of Constantine VII's grandchildren, Romanus II's children who were known as Basil II and Constantine VIII. Both are titled "Born in the Purple" on this coin. Their father Romanus II died in 963 when the two were both too young to rule. The throne thus went to two generals, Nikephoros Phokas (r. 963–969) and John Tzimiskes (r. 969–976) before Basil became senior emperor,

Basil and Constantine VIII ruled together for nearly 50 years with Constantine outliving his brother about 3 years. As he was dying, Constantine VIII hastily married his daughter Zoe to a nobleman to ensure succession to "Romanus III Argyros" on 12 November 1028.

Basil II and Constantine VIII, 976-1025 AD, AR Miliaresion, Constantinople mint

Obv: ЄҺ τOVτω ҺICAτ´ bASILЄI C CωҺSτ, facing busts of Basil and Constantine flanking ornate cross

Rev: +ЬASIL'/ C CωҺSτAҺ'/ ΠORFVROς'/ ΠISτVbAS'/ RωMAIω' in five lines across field

Ref: DOC III 17; SB 1810

References:

Ancient Sources

• Ioannes Scylitzes. Synopsis historiarum. Library of Congress. Also at the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana.

Modern Sources

• Boudreaux, P. Catalogus codicum astrologorum graecorum. VIII, Codicum parisinorum partem tertiam descripsit. Bruxelles, 1912.

• Grierson, P. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Volume 3: Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717–1081. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library, 1973, 526–73.

• Grierson, P., and R. Jenkins. "The Date of Constantine VII's Coronation." Byzantion 32, no. 1 (1962): 133–38.

• Pingree, D. "The Horoscope of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus." Dumbarton Oaks Papers 27 (1973): 217–31.

• Sear, D. R. Byzantine Coins and Their Values. 2nd ed., revised and enlarged, with Simon Bendall and Michael Dennis O'Hara. London: Seaby, 1987.

• Whitting, P. D. Byzantine Coins. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1973, 188–90.

• Wikipedia. "Constantine VII."

• Wortley, J., trans. John Skylitzes: A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811–1057. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

• Wroth, W. W. Catalogue of the Imperial Byzantine Coins in the British Museum. London: British Museum Department of Coins and Medals, 1908, 451–67.