Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium.

Episode 102 The Islands

So deep breath.

Irene was replaced by Nysephyrus, her finance minister.

He led the army into the lands of the Bulgars and never came back.

He was replaced by Michael I, who had no experience of military life.

He was replaced by Leo V, his senior general who restored iconoclasm.

He was then murdered and replaced by Michael II, a fellow general who pretended he hadn't

murdered him and left the administration as he'd found it.

We then had the Civil War which ate up four years and a lot of resources.

Here we are then.

Michael of Amorium is now indisputably Michael II.

But if he was hoping his troubles were behind him, then he had another thing coming.

Michael's much loved wife, Thachler, had passed away during Thomas's siege.

Now that the war was over, Michael agreed to marry again.

He was advised that a bride from the Isorian dynasty would be ideal, seeing as how he had

no legitimacy given he well murdered his predecessor.

Do you remember the details of Constantine VI's marital life?

Well his first wife, Maria of Amnia, had two daughters with him, but then he sent them

all off to a convent and married his mistress.

This incident may ring a bell because that was when Theodore of the studious monastery

objected strongly to this illegal marriage, launching himself into the narrative where

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