Mother’s month is gone and Dad’s
month as well. That made me think that being a parent is always a challenge,
even among the most powerful. Ironically, while many men and women have
sought power in order to create their dynasties, history does not lack examples
of successful men who failed at being good parents. There are the
obvious cases of Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great who did not live long
enough to provide for the safety of their children, while emperors
Trajan and Hadrian did not leave descendants. Revered emperors such as Marcus
Aurelius and Septimius Severus were followed by their reviled offspring,
Commodus and Caracalla.
Yet perhaps most surprising of
all is that Augustus, first Roman Emperor and perhaps the most powerful man in
European history, was also a failed parent. Augustus only biological child was
his daughter Julia. Being forced into an unhappy marriage with Augustus’
stepson Tiberius, she was found later to be guilty of adultery and treason,
being accused of plotting with her lovers against her husband’s own life. Among
ancient writers Julia is almost universally remembered for her flagrant and
promiscuous conduct and even prostitution behavior, although some of the worst
tales are likely to be exaggerations of her actions. Her father Augustus loved
her deeply, admired her wit and indulged her, hesitating for some time to
accuse her. Reluctant to execute her, Augustus decided on Julia's exile, in
harsh conditions. She was confined on the small island of Pandateria, with no
men in sight, forbidden even to drink wine and only allowed the visitors
approved by her father. Suetonius reports that Augustus would remark "If
only I had never married, or had died childless". Historian Macrobius,
however, writes that Julia was loved by the roman people due to her gentleness
and generosity. Unfortunately, perhaps due to male sexism, the sex scandals
give a reputation as negative to historical characters as the murderous
behavior of power hungry men.
Perhaps even more surprising is
the case of byzantine Empress Irene, the first woman to be an official empress
of the Roman Empire which at the time was limited to its eastern half. Her real
story is even more bizarre and full of cruelty than the fictional Cersei’s life
in Game of Thrones!
Irene became Empress Regent after
the death of her imperial husband, being responsible for the care of her son,
the official emperor Constantine VI. As Constantine approached maturity he
began to grow restless under Irene’s influence. Her son Constantine VI was
proclaimed as the sole ruler. Once in control of the state, Constantine proved
incapable of sound governance. His army was defeated by the Arabs and
Bulgarians. A movement developed in favor of his uncle Nikephoros. Constantine
had his uncle's eyes put out and the tongues of his father's four other
half-brothers cut off. Constantine blinded his Armenian general Alexios Mosele and then cruelly repressed the revolt of his supporters. He then divorced his wife Maria of Amnia, who had failed to provide him
with a male heir, and married his mistress Theodote, an unpopular and illegal act. On 19 April 797
Constantine was captured, blinded, and imprisoned by the supporters of his
mother, who had organized a conspiracy, leaving Irene to be crowned as first
Empress regnant of Constantinople.
As a sole ruler Irene restored the adoration of icons in the
Byzantine Empire. In 800 Pope Leo III crowned the Carolygian king Charlemagne as
Roman Emperor. Irene had previously failed to make a marriage between her son
and Charlemagne’s daughter. Relations between the two empires remained
difficult. Irene is said to have endeavoured a marriage alliance between
herself and Charlemagne, but according to Theophanes the Confessor, who alone
mentions it, the scheme was frustrated by Aetios, one of her favourites.
In the end Irene’s grasp for
power did not last and her end was an unfortunate one. A conspiracy of noblemen
deposed Irene in 802, exiling her to Lesbos, where she was forced to support
herself by spinning wool. She died the following year.
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