Irene ranks with Egyptian queen Hatshepsut and Russian empress Catherine the Great as a breaker of male-dominated dynasties. Why: Leo III is important because of his actions of banning all religious icons within the Byzantine Empire. From 797 until 802, Irene ruled alone, not as empress but as emperor--she used the title basilissa ("empress"), although she also employed the title "Irene the pious emperor." When Irene of Athens was crowned sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire in 797, she became the first woman ever to hold the throne of the old Roman Empire. The … Empress Irene of Athens was the first female ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Irene was also known for her generous financial policies, which were especially friendly to monasteries. The praised beauty of the (around) 15 years old girl must have played a role as well (to the Byzantines, an empress is meant to provide an heir, help with family connections to assert the authority of the emperor and to take part in public events, hence why … Hence why it is supposed that her family was iconoclast and Irene raised as one herself. Born in Athens of a Greek noble family, between the years of 750 and 755, little is known regarding Irene Sarantapechaina's life before ascending to … During her lacklustre reign, Irene ruthlessly schemed and plotted to keep … Prior to becoming empress regnant, Irene was empress consort from 775 to 780, and empress … Empress Irene … Irene of Athens (c. 752 – 9 August 803 AD), also known as Irene Sarantapechaina, was Byzantine empress consort by marriage to Leo IV from 775 to 780, regent during the minority of her son Constantine VI from 780 until 790, co-regent from 792 until 797, and finally sole ruler and first empress regnant of the Byzantine Empire … She was also known to have initiated the Second Council of Nicea. It was known as the Iconoclasm and it greatly divided the relationship with the empire and the church. Irene Doukaina or Ducaena (Greek: Εἰρήνη Δούκαινα, Eirēnē Doukaina; c. 1066 – 19 February 1138) was a Byzantine Empress by marriage to the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos, and the mother of the emperor John II Komnenos and of the historian Anna Komnene. Irene of Athens or Irene the Athenian (Greek: Εἰρήνη ἡ Ἀθηναία; c. 752 – 9 August 803 AD) is the commonly known name of Irene Sarantapechaina (Greek: Εἰρήνη Σαρανταπήχαινα), Byzantine empress regnant from 797 to 802. Her usurpation of the imperial throne created a theoretical justification for the coronation of Charlemagne. From 797 to 802 CE she ruled as emperor in her own right, the first woman to do so in Byzantine history. She once again established ties with Charlemagne, and in 802 there is some evidence that there was a marriage contemplated between the two. The wife of Leo IV (r. 775-780 CE), when he died Irene assumed the role of regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 to 790 CE. This was later fixed by the Empress Irene. She was an orphan, and there is some mystery around why she was chosen from obscurity to be the bride … Empress Irene was the wife of Leo IV and, on her husband’s death, she reigned as regent for her son Constantine VI from 780 to 790 CE. From 797 to 802 CE she ruled as emperor in her own right, the first … An East Roman (Byzantine) empress, Irene of Athens (752-803) convened the Seventh Ecumenical Council and restored the veneration of icons in the Byzantine Empire. After her death, she became a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.. Irene was the only female Byzantine ruler to assume the male title of basileus or “emperor” (as opposed to empress). Also, to open the posts of this year, certainly later than planned, we begin with the Byzantine Empress Irene of Athens and how important she was to the Orthodox Eastern Church. 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