Romanos III Argyros
Romanos III Argyros was an elderly aristocrat and civil servant elevated to the throne by marriage to the Macedonian princess Zoe when Constantine VIII was dying without a male heir. He had been prefect of Constantinople when Constantine offered him the choice of marrying Zoe or being blinded; he divorced his existing wife and chose marriage. As emperor he proved competent in some administrative areas but was clearly out of his depth militarily and personally vain about his imperial image. He fancied himself a scholar and theologian, patronized building projects, and tried to play the part of a philosopher-king. His military ambitions were disastrous: in 1030 he led a large army into Syria and suffered a humiliating defeat at Aazaz. His relationship with Zoe deteriorated steadily. Zoe developed a passionate attachment to a young Paphlagonian, Michael, whose brother the eunuch John the Orphanotrophos managed the court. Romanos was found drowned in his bath in April 1034 in circumstances that were almost certainly murder. Zoe married Michael on the same day, and Michael IV became emperor hours after Romanos's death.
- Lived: 968 CE – 1034 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state, administrator
