Constantine VII
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Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, and the nephew of his predecessor Alexander.
Gold solidus depicting Leo VI and Constantine VII, 908–913.
Zoe Karbonopsina and Constantine VII, 914–919.
Romanos I Lekapenos and Constantine VII, 920–945.
The coronation was the main symbolic act of accession to the throne of a Byzantine emperor, co-emperor, or empress. Founded on Roman traditions of election by the Senate or acclamation by the army, the ceremony evolved over time from a relatively simple, ad hoc affair to a complex ritual.
Anachronistic depiction of a coronation by being raised on a shield, from the Madrid Skylitzes. The crowned figure is meant to be Michael I Rhangabe, although there is some debate concerning the identity of the two figures, as the scene appears to be drawn from a lost original source. It has been proposed that the image depicts the coronation of a co-emperor (left) by a senior emperor (right).
The coronation of the young Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos as Byzantine co-emperor in 908. Miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes chronicle. c. 12th–13th century
The Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constantinople (modern Istanbul) was the main coronation church of the Byzantine emperors, from the mid-7th century to the end of the Empire