File:Constantine_VIII_in_the_Exultet_roll_(2).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Reign
- 15 December 1025 – , 11 November 1028
- Coronation
- 30 March 962
- Predecessor
- Basil II
- Successor
- Romanos III
- Died
- 11/12 November 1028, (aged 67–68)
- Spouse
- Helena
- Issue
- Eudokia Zoe Theodora
- Dynasty
- Macedonian dynasty
- Father
- Romanos II
- Mother
- Theophano
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Byzantine Empire
- Place of birth
- Constantinople
- Place of death
- Constantinople
- Spouse
- Helena
- Father
- Romanos II
- Mother
- Theophano
- Sibling
- Anna Porphyrogenita
- Occupation
- ruler
- Position held
- Byzantine emperor
- Family
- Macedonian dynasty
- Image
- Histamenon nomisma-Constantine VIII-sb1776.jpg
- Number of children
- 2
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Konstantinos VIII
- date of birth
- 0960-01-01
- date of death
- 1028-11-15
- name in native language
- Κωνσταντίνος Η΄
- place of burial
- Church of the Holy Apostles
via Wikidata · CC0
~10 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Constantine VIII (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος, romanized: Kōnstantīnos; 960 – 11/12 November 1028) was de jure Byzantine emperor from 962 until his death. He was the younger son of Emperor Romanos II and Empress Theophano. He was nominal co-emperor from 962, successively with his father; stepfather, Nikephoros II Phokas; uncle, John I Tzimiskes; and brother, Basil II. Basil's death in 1025 left Constantine as the sole emperor. He occupied the throne for 66 years in total, making him de jure the longest-reigning amongst all Roman emperors since Augustus.
Constantine displayed a lifelong lack of interest in politics, statecraft and the military, and during his brief sole reign the government of the Byzantine Empire suffered from mismanagement and neglect. He had no sons and was instead succeeded by Romanos Argyros, husband of his daughter Zoe.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Konstantinos VIII” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.