Romanos III Argyros, or Argyropoulos was Byzantine Emperor from 1028 until his death. He was a Byzantine noble and senior official in Constantinople when the dying Constantine VIII forced him to divorce his wife and marry the emperor's daughter Zoë. Upon Constantine's death three days later, Romanos took the throne.
Mosaic of Zoë at the Hagia Sophia.
George Maniakes sends the letter of Christ to Romanos III.
Arab cavalry pursue fleeing Byzantines after the Battle of Azaz
Empress Zoe tonsures Theodora after another failed conspiracy.
Constantine VIII
(Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος, Kōnstantinos; 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 since 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.
Contemporary miniature of Constantine VIII, from a Bari Exultet roll
Constantine VIII's father (left) in the Romanos Ivory
Gold solidus of Romanos II's father Constantine VII (left) and Romanos II (right), with a haloed Christ on reverse.
Histamenon of Nikephoros II (left) and Basil II (right)
