| Theophylact | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of the Romans | |
 A young prince, most likely Theophylact, being crowned junior emperor by his father, miniature from the 12th centuryMadrid Skylitzes. | |
| Byzantine emperor | |
| Co-reign | 25 December 811 – 11 July 813 |
| Predecessor | Michael I Rangabe |
| Successor | Leo V the Armenian |
| Senior emperor | Michael I Rangabe |
| Born | c. 793 |
| Died | 15 January 849 (aged 55–56) Plate Island |
| Dynasty | Nikephorian dynasty |
| Father | Michael I Rangabe |
| Mother | Prokopia |
| Nikephorian dynasty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chronology | ||
| ||
| Succession | ||
| ||
Theophylact orTheophylaktos (Greek:Θεοφύλακτος,romanized: Theophylaktos;c. 793 – 15 January 849) was the eldest son of theByzantine emperorMichael I Rangabe (r. 811–813) and grandson, on his mother's side, ofNikephoros I (r. 802–811). He was junior co-emperor alongside his father for the duration of the latter's reign, and wastonsured,castrated, and exiled toPlate Island after his overthrow, under themonastic nameEustratius (Εὐστράτιος; Evstrátios).
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Theophylact was born toMichael Rhangabe andProkopiac. 793. He was the couple's oldest child, but the list of his siblings given in thehagiography ofPatriarch Ignatius I of Constantinople, who was Theophylact's youngest brother, is unclear on whether he was the eldest child or was born after his oldest sister Gorgo.[1] The same source also states that he was crowned alongside his brotherStaurakios.[2] He was named after his paternal grandfather, thedroungarios of theDodekanesosTheophylact Rhangabe, who had participated in a failedconspiracy to wrest the throne from Empress-regentIrene of Athens in 780.[3] Nevertheless his maternal grandfather, the emperorNikephoros I (r. 802–811), rose to becomeGeneral Logothete (finance minister) under Empress Irene before eventually deposing her in October 802.[4]
Following the death of Nikephoros in theBattle of Pliska on 26 July 811 and the crippling of his only son and heirStaurakios in the same battle, on 2 October theByzantine Senate and thetagmata guard units acclaimed Nikephoros's son-in-law Michael Rhangabe as emperor and forced Staurakios to abdicate.[1][5] Michael immediately set about to consolidate his rule, distributing lavish gifts, crowning his wife asaugusta on 12 October, and finally, crowning Theophylact – then aged eighteen – as co-emperor in theHagia Sophia on Christmas Day, 25 December 811.[1][6] At about the same time, Michael sent an embassy under BishopMichael of Synnada to theFrankish court, which among other issues raised the prospect of an imperial marriage between Theophylact and one ofCharlemagne's daughters. Despite a warm reception atAachen and the ratification of apeace treaty between the two realms, Charlemagne, perhaps wary after the repeated failures of successive efforts to that effect over the previous decades, hesitated to agree to such a match.[1][7]
Nothing further is known of Theophylact until 11 July 813, when Michael, faced with a military revolt underLeo the Armenian, abdicated the throne. Michael and his family sought refuge in theChurch of the Virgin of the Pharos, where they weretonsured as monks and nuns. Michael and his sons werecastrated to make them incapable of claiming the throne in the future, and exiled toPlate, one of thePrinces' Islands in theSea of Marmara (though the later historiansJohn Skylitzes andZonaras mention the island ofProte instead). Leo accorded them an annual stipend.[1][8] According toTheophanes Continuatus, Theophylact, who adopted themonastic name Eustratius (Εὐστράτιος), died five years after his father, on 15 January 849, and was buried alongside him in a church on Plate Island.[1] Theophanes Continuatus also reports that his body (or perhaps that of his father) was later transferred by his brother, Patriarch Ignatios, to the monastery known as "tou Satyrou".[1]
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