A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

Fi66 ROMANUS. ROMANUS.
Romanus, so wise in many respects, compromised father, was no sooner independent than she excited
himself extremely in 933, by making his son Romanus against his own family; his five sisters
Theophylactus, a lad of sixteen, patriarch of Con- were compelled to leave the palace, and confined
stantinople, after first obtaining the approbation of in the same convent where Sophia, the widow of
Pope John XI. Theophylactus proved a very Christophorus Augustus had then been during
miserable prelate. From 934 to 940 the empire thirty years; but the empress dowager, Helena,
enjoyed an almost universal peace, Italy excepted, possessed too much energy to yield to her daughterwhere the petty warfare with the Lombard princes in-law, and she accordingly remained in the palace,
went on as before. But in 941 Constantinople but she died soon afterwards of a broken heart.
was in terror at the sudden appearance of a Rus- Although Romanus never showed himself in the
sian fleet of 10,000 boats, commanded by Prince field, he had two renowned generals by whom
Ingor, who cast anchor at the very entrance of the some glorious deeds were done, namely, the two
Bosporus, and whose troops ravaged the neighbour- brothers Nicephorus and Leo Phocas. Nicephorus
ing country. Romanus, however, equipped in all recovered the flourishing island of Creta, after a
haste a snlall- number of galleys (15?) lying in long siege of its capital Candia, and after the
the Golden Horn, with which Theophanes boldly Arabs had ruled there during 150 years (961);
attacked the Russians, destroyed a great number and Leo was successful against the Arabs in Asia.
of their boats, and compelled Ingor to fly. Theo- After the fall of Candia, and the splendid triumph
phanes soon afterwards obtained a second victory of Nicephorus in Constantinople, the two brothers
over the rest of the fleet on the coast of Thrace, joined their forces against the Arabs, and obtained
and of this formidable armada very little came most signal victories over them. A rumour having
back to Russia. Ingor died soon afterwards, and spread of the death of Romanus, Nicephorus apin 945 his wife Olga came to Constantinople to proached the capital through fear of Brillngas; but
receive baptism: she was christened Helena, and the rumour was false, and Nicephorus remained in
is held in the utmost veneration in the Russian Asia, observing Constantinople. Events showed
church. the prudence of this step; for Romanus, already
Down to this period Constantine Porphyrogeni- exhausted by his mode of life, was despatched by
tus, although the legitimate emperor by descent, poison administered to him by his own wife Theohad only enjoyed the title of his rank, and he now phano. He died on the 15th of March, 963, at
resolved upon having the power also. To this the age of twenty-four. Ambition, and perhaps
effect he excited the ambition of the two sur- the secret advice of the eunuch Bringas, urged
viving sons of Romanus, Stephanus and Constan- Theophano to commit the foul deed. Romanus
tine, both Augusti, who in their turn were tired married first Bertha, afterwards called Eudoxia,
of the autocracy of their aged father. A con- the natural daughter of Hugo, king of Italy, who
spiracy was set on foot, headed by Stephanus, who died a child before the marriage was consummated.
had the assistance of several energetic and distin- By his second wife Anastasia, afterwards called
guished men. Sure of success, he suddenly seized Theophano, a woman of base extraction, he left
upon the person of his father, and with secret two sons, Basil II. and Constantine VIII., who
despatch had him carried to the island of Protea, followed him on the throne, and two daughters,
at the entrance of the Propontis, where Romanus Theophano, who married Otho II. emperor of Gerwas thrown into a convent and had his head many, an excellent woman, who became the anshaved forthwith, as he was thus rendered incom- cestress of most of the reigning houses in Europe,
petent to reign (20th of December, 944). The and Anna Posthuma, who married Wladimir, first
sons of Romlanus, however, did not reap the fruits Christian prince of Russia. (Cedren. p. 642, &c.;
of their treachery, for Constantine VII. was pro- Zonar. vol. ii. p. 196, &c.; Manass. p. 115, Glyc.
claimed sole emperor, after the unnatural children p. 304; Leo Diacon. p. 500, &c. in the Paris
of the deposed emperor had enjoyed the title of editions.) [W. P.]
co-emperors during the short space of five weeks. ROMA'NUS ITI., ARGYRUS or ARGYThey were then arrested and sent to Protea, where ROPU'LUS ('Pwtavo's d'Ap-yvpos or o Ap-yvpd.
a touching interview took place between them and 7rovAos), Byzantine emperor from A. D. 1028their unfortunate father. Stephanus died nineteen 1034, was the son of Leo Argyrus Dux, and
years afterwards in exile, and Constantine sur- belonged to a distinguished family. Romanus
vived his captivity only two years, when he was obtained such military glory in the reign of Conmassacred in an attempt at making his escape. stantine VIII., that this prince appointed him his
Romanus lived a quiet monkish life in his con- successor, and offered him the hand of one of his
vent, and died a natural death on the 15th of June, daughters, a few days before he died. Romanus
948. (Cedren. p. 614, &c.; Leo. Diacon. p. was married to Helena, a virtuous woman, whom
492, &c.; Manass. p. 111, &c.; Zonaras, vol. ii. he tenderly loved, and declined both the crown
p. 186, &c.; Glycas, p. 300, &c. all in the Paris and the bride. Constantine, however, left him the
editions.) [W. P.] choice between his offer, or the loss of his eyes,
ROMA'NUS II., or the Younger, Byzantine Even then Romanus did not yield to the temptaemperor from A. D. 959-963, the son and suc- tion, and would have declined it again but for the
cessor of Constantine VII. Porphyrogenitus, was prayers of his own wife, who implored him to
born in 939, and succeeded his father on the accept both, and rather sacrifice her than the emfifteenth of November 959. His short reign pire. Their marriage was accordingly dissolved;
offers a few events of note. Endowed with and Romanus, now married to the princess ZoO,
great personal beauty and bodily strength, he succeeded Constantine on the 12th of Novempreferred gymnastics, hunting, and other pleasures ber, 1028. He was a brave, well-instructed man,
to the duties of an emperor, which he left to perhaps learned; but he over-valued himself,
his minister Bringas. His wretched wife Theo- and thought himself the best general and the best
pliano, who had persuaded him to poison his scholar of his time. Numerous acts of liberality