Helen Lekapene

• Preferred Name: Helen Lekapene^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}
  
• Alternate Name: Helen Lekapene Princess of Byzantium
  
• Alternate Name: Lekapene
  
• Alternate Name: Helen Lekapene
  
• Gender: F
  
• Birth: ABT 910 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire at LATI: N1.15 LONG: E8.75
  
• Burial: SEP 961 in Constantinple Turkey (Byzantium) at LATI: N1.0136 LONG: E8.955 with note: GEDCOM data
  
• LDS+Baptism: 21 JUL 1938
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Empress of Byzantium919 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire at LATI: N1.15 LONG: E8.75
  
• Death: 19 SEP 961 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire at LATI: N1.15 LONG: E8.75
  
• FSID: L5VF-6MD
  
• Nickname:
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
  
  HELENA Lekapene ([915]-19 Sep 961). Theophanes Continuatus records the marriage in Apr of "Constantino imperatore" and "Helenæ Romani filiæ…tertiaque paschæ", dated to just after the Bulgarian war of 918[1295]. "Romanos…filiam suam Helena" is named as wife of Emperor Konstantinos by Liudprand[1296]. No record has been found of Helena's age at the time of her marriage. However, it is likely that she was very young, as her son was born nearly twenty years after she married. If this is correct, she was probably born after her brother Theofilaktos and therefore was also born from her father's presumed second marriage. Her father arranged this marriage to increase his influence with Emperor Konstantinos. Theophanes Continuatus records the death 19 Sep of "Helena Augusta" (in 961)[1297]. m ([Apr] 919) Emperor KONSTANTINOS VII, son of Emperor LEON VI & his fourth wife Zoe Karbonopsina (905-9 Nov 959, bur Constantinople Church of the Holy Apostles).
  
  === From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 J ===
  From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
  
  === Line 544 from GEDCOM File not recognizab ===
  Line 544 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === !NAME:Eleni,Princess Of The BYZANTINE EM ===
  !NAME:Eleni,Princess Of The BYZANTINE EMPIRE
  
  === !children 1 Eudoxia Princess of The Byza ===
  !children 1 Eudoxia Princess of The Byzantine Empire hrb6-qq 2 Zoe Emmpress of the Byzantine Empire hrb6-s3 m Romanus III Emperor of the Byzantine Empire and Michael Iv Emperor of the Byzantine Empire hrb7-03 and Konstantinos Ix Emperor of the Byzantine Empire hrb7-3l 3 Theodora Empress of the Byzantine Empire hrb7-8g
  
  === or helen ===
  or helen
  
  === Ancestral File Number: HRB6-L2 ===
  Ancestral File Number: HRB6-L2
  
  === Ancestral File Number: GG56-T3 ===
  Ancestral File Number: GG56-T3
  
  === ?? Line 11922: (New PAF RIN=12074)
  1 TIT ===
  ?? Line 11922: (New PAF RIN=12074)
  1 TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 70 from GEDCOM File not recognizabl ===
  Line 70 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni /LEKAPENE/ GIVN Eleni Line 71 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni /LEKAPENE/ SURN LEKAPENE Line 74 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: SOUR @S01@ Line 143 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni /LEKAPENE/ GIVN Eleni Line 144 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni /LEKAPENE/ SURN LEKAPENE Line 147 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: SOUR @S01@
  
  === ?? Line 14637: (New PAF RIN=12518)
  1 NAM ===
  ?? Line 14637: (New PAF RIN=12518)
  1 NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === Line 101304 from GEDCOM File not recogni ===
  Line 101304 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === Direct Descendant ===
  Direct Descendant
  
  === !TITLE:EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE ===
  !TITLE:EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
  
  === ?? Line 5806: (New PAF RIN=49058) 1 NAME ===
  ?? Line 5806: (New PAF RIN=49058) 1 NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === Line 3092 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 3092 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 10528 from GEDCOM File not recogniz ===
  Line 10528 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 10528 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 J ===
  From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996. From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
  
  === Line 7384 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 7384 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 10516 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 10528 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 6027 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 6919 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === Still Living. ===
  Still Living.
  
  === Line 78879 from GEDCOM File not recogniz ===
  Line 78879 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 148 from GEDCOM File not recognizab ===
  Line 148 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 461 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ Line 148 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === Line 171991 from GEDCOM File not recogni ===
  Line 171991 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
  
  === !parents Adrianos of the Byzantine Empir ===
  !parents Adrianos of the Byzantine Empire gg56-wf b abt 894
  
  === Line 6912 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 6912 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === ?? Line 108681: (New PAF RIN=13112) 1 NA ===
  ?? Line 108681: (New PAF RIN=13112) 1 NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/ ?? Line 45536: (New PAF RIN=22915) 1 NAME Eleni, Princess Of The /BYZANTINE EMPIRE/
  
  === Please let me know if this was helpful f ===
  Please let me know if this was helpful for you. contact me either via email <bernard.schulmann@lillonet.org> or phone at +1-250-256-0137 If you have anything to correct or add, please let me know. Also, there is an email list dealing with many of these same ancestors - Deu-Baltische-l@rootsweb.com !GENERAL:Ancestral File (TM), Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998 Repository: Family History Library 35 N West Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 8415 !GENERAL:Ancestral File (TM), Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998
  
  === Line 6655 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 6655 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 2865 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 2865 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === AKA-BIRTH-MARRIAGE-DEATH: LDS Ancestor f ===
  AKA-BIRTH-MARRIAGE-DEATH: LDS Ancestor file - Doc. AFN000333 Aka: Eleni Lexapene, Empress of The Byzantine Empire Birth: About 906; Of,Constantinople,Constantinople,Turkdy Marriage: Konstantinos VII, Emperor of The Byzantine Empire; April 27, 919; Of,Constantinople,Constantinople,Turkey Death: September 19, 961
  
  === Line 5736 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 5736 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] Line 5736 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === - (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) ===
  - (Empress of the Byzantine Empire)
  
  === Line 360 from GEDCOM File not recognizab ===
  Line 360 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === ?? Line 1068: (New PAF RIN=6602) 1 TITL ===
  ?? Line 1068: (New PAF RIN=6602) 1 TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 115 from GEDCOM File not recognizab ===
  Line 115 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] Line 134 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === _P_CCINFO 1-14417
  
  Original individual @ ===
  _P_CCINFO 1-14417
  
  Original individual @I14745@ (@MS_WTG.GED0@) merged with @I14718@ (@MS_WTG.GED0@)
  
  Original individual @I14745@ (@MS_WTG.GED0@) merged with @I14753@ (@MS_WTG.GED0@)
  
  === Line 5460 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 5460 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] Line 5736 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] Line 5728 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] Line 3311 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] Line 4389 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === !SOURCE: BRITANNICA MICROPAEDIA READY R ===
  !SOURCE: BRITANNICA MICROPAEDIA READY REFERENCE VOL 10 PG 161 1987 EDITION
  
  === --Other Fields ===
  --Other Fields
  
  === Line 4387 from GEDCOM File not recogniza ===
  Line 4387 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 439 from GEDCOM File not recognizab ===
  Line 439 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === !GENERAL:Ancestral File (R), Ancestral ===
  !GENERAL:Ancestral File (R), Ancestral File (R), The Churc h of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987 , June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998
  
  === From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 5 J ===
  From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 5 JAN 1998.
  
  === ?? Line 88901: (New PAF RIN=9697) 1 TITL ===
  ?? Line 88901: (New PAF RIN=9697) 1 TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] ?? Line 34536: (New PAF RIN=21361) 1 TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE]
  
  === Line 136963 from GEDCOM File not recogni ===
  Line 136963 from GEDCOM File not recognizable or too long: TITL [EMPRESS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE] From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
  
  === SORLEY'S PEDIGREES (GS NUMBER Q929.242 S ===
  SORLEY'S PEDIGREES (GS NUMBER Q929.242 SO68) P.17; THE PLANTAGENETANCESTRY (GS NUMBER Q940 D2T) P.23; BETHAMIS GENEALOGICAL TABLES (GS NUMBER Q929.2B465G) TAB 537;
  
  === Name Suffix: Empress Ancestral Fil ===
  Name Suffix: Empress Ancestral File Number: GG57-GB

1. Romanos Porphyrogenitus Byzantine Emperor II, b. 938 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire     d. 15 MAR 963 in Constantinople, Anatolia, Byzantine Empire
2. Matthew Of Byzantine Empire,    
3. Vladimir Svatoslavitsj Rurikides I, b. 958     d. 15 de julho de 1015

1. Title: Legacy NFS Source: "Empress" Eleni Lekapene (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) - birth: 0906; Istanbul, Turkey
   Author: 13143.GED, Not Given
   Note: birth: 0906; Istanbul, Turkey Source Media Type: Other death: Source Media Type: Other Source Media Type: Other
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222793
   
2. Title: Legacy NFS Source: "Empress" Eleni Lekapene (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) -
   Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2041640822
   
3. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy - Helen Lekapene, Princess of Byzantium, Empress of Byzantium
   Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM.htm#HelenaLekapenedied961;
   Note: HELENA Lekapene ([915]-19 Sep 961). Theophanes Continuatus records the marriage in Apr of "Constantino imperatore" and "Helenæ Romani filiæ…tertiaque paschæ", dated to just after the Bulgarian war of 918[1295]. "Romanos…filiam suam Helena" is named as wife of Emperor Konstantinos by Liudprand[1296]. No record has been found of Helena's age at the time of her marriage. However, it is likely that she was very young, as her son was born nearly twenty years after she married. If this is correct, she was probably born after her brother Theofilaktos and therefore was also born from her father's presumed second marriage. Her father arranged this marriage to increase his influence with Emperor Konstantinos. Theophanes Continuatus records the death 19 Sep of "Helena Augusta" (in 961)[1297]. m ([Apr] 919) Emperor KONSTANTINOS VII, son of Emperor LEON VI & his fourth wife Zoe Karbonopsina (905-9 Nov 959, bur Constantinople Church of the Holy Apostles).
   
4. Title: Wikiwand - Helen Lekapene, Princess of Byzantium
   Author: ^ Judith Herrin (2013). Unrivalled Influence: Women and Empire in Byzantium. Princeton University Press. P. 324. ^ Denis Sullivan, Elizabeth A. Fisher, Stratis Papaioannou. BRILL, 2011. Byzantine Religious Culture: Studies in Honor of Alice-Mary Talbot. P. 91. "Of the few references to women in the Synopsis, the story of Helen Lekapene the wife of Constantine VII (913–59) and daughter of Romanos I Lekapenos (920–44) falls in this category." ^ Anne Commire, Deborah Klezmer (1994). Historic World Leaders: Africa, Middle East, Asia, Pacific. Gale Research Incorporated.
   Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Helena_Lekapene;
   Note: Helena Lekapene (Medieval Greek: Ἑλένη Λεκαπηνή, romanized: Lecapena) (c. 910 – 19 September 961) was the empress consort of Constantine VII, known to have acted as his political adviser and de facto co-regent.[1][2] She was a daughter of Romanos I Lekapenos[3] and Theodora. Background The deaths of Emperor Leo VI the Wise in 912 and his brother and successor Alexander in 913 left the throne of the Byzantine Empire to Constantine VII. Constantine was only seven years old when he assumed the throne. The empire was placed in the care of regents. Nicholas Mystikos, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, was the principal regent until March 914. He was displaced by Zoe Karbonopsina, mother of the young emperor. Zoe reigned with the support of influential general Leo Phocas until 919. However, Leo led the Byzantine army into a series of lost battles against Simeon I of Bulgaria in one campaign of the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars. This strengthened the opposition to the regent and her favorite general. In 919, a coup d'état involving various factions managed to remove Zoe from power. The new effective regent was Romanos Lekapenos, Droungarios (admiral) of the Byzantine navy. Romanos orchestrated the marriage of Helena to Constantine VII as a way to secure a connection to the legitimate Macedonian dynasty. Reign of Romanos The work Theophanes Continuatus was a continuation of the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor by other writers, active during the reign of her husband. The description of her marriage at the chronicle places the event in April or May 919. The groom was still four or five months short of his 14th birthday. The age of Helena is not recorded but she was likely also of minor age. They would not have children until the 930s. Romanos was proclaimed basileopatōr ("father of the emperor") on the occasion of the marriage. In September, 920, Romanos was invested as kaisar (Caesar). On 17 December 920, Romanos was crowned co-emperor and in effect became the senior of the two associate emperors. Helena now was married to the junior co-ruler. Her mother Theodora was crowned Augusta in January 921 and was her senior in palace hierarchy until her death on 20 February 922. Helena became in effect the senior co-empress of the palace following the death of her mother. Her brother Christopher Lekapenos became co-emperor in 921. Before his elevation to the throne, Christopher was married to Sophia, daughter of magistros Niketas. Sophia was crowned empress in February 922. They had three children. In 924, there was a senior emperor (Romanos), two junior emperors (Constantine VII and Christopher), and two empresses (Helena and Sophia). However Romanos crowned two more of his sons as co-emperors, Stephen Lekapenos and Constantine Lekapenos. By 933, Stephen was married to Anna, daughter of Gabalos. No children are mentioned by the chronicle. By 939, Constantine Lekapenos was married to another Helena, daughter of patrikios Hadrian. Helena died on 14 January 940 and subsequently Constantine married Theophano Mamas on 2 February 940. Constantine had a son but the identity of the mother was not recorded. With the favor of Romanos, Christopher held seniority among the four junior co-emperors. He was the heir to the throne while Constantine VII, Stephen, and Constantine Lekapenos were to remain junior co-rulers. However Christopher died in 931. Romanos did not advance his younger sons in precedence over Constantine VII. His son-in-law was now the heir over his own sons. Helena was bound to become the principal empress upon the death of her father. This period lasted until 16 December 944. Fearing that Romanos would allow Constantine VII to succeed him instead of them, his younger sons Stephen and Constantine arrested their father and took him to the Prince Islands, compelling him to become a monk. Reign of Constantine Depiction of Helena on her deathbed. Depiction of Helena on her deathbed. Constantine VII was restored to his position as senior emperor after 24 years as junior co-ruler. On 27 January 945, his brothers-in-law and co-rulers Stephen and Constantine also were deposed. They were sent into exile, leaving Constantine VII sole emperor. Helena was by then the only empress. Having never exercised executive authority, Constantine remained primarily devoted to his scholarly pursuits and relegated his authority to bureaucrats and generals as well as his energetic wife Helena. Romanos II was the co-ruler and heir. When Constantine VII died on 9 November 959, Romanos II succeeded him to the throne. His own wife Theophano convinced him to send all five of his sisters to the convent of Kanikleion. Helena seems to have retired from palace life after this point. Her death on 19 September 961 is among the last events recorded in the Theophanes Continuatus chronicle. Issue With Constantine VII: Leo, who died young. Romanos II. Zoe, sent to a convent. Theodora, who married Emperor John I Tzimiskes. Agatha, sent to a convent. Theophano, sent to a convent. Anna, sent to a convent.
   
5. Title: Legacy NFS Source: "Empress" Eleni Lekapene (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) -
   Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222797
   
6. Title: Legacy NFS Source: "Empress" Eleni Lekapene (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) -
   Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222795
   
7. Title: Helena Lekapene, "Find A Grave Index"
   Author: "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JPN-8X6G : 23 November 2022), Helena Lekapene, ; Burial, Istanbul, , Istanbul, Turkey, Church of the Holy Apostles; citing record ID 244501518, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
   Publication: Name: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JPN-8X6G;
   
8. Title: Legacy NFS Source: "Empress" Eleni Lekapene (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) - death:
   Author: Ancestral File.LDS Church. Family History Library.
   Note: death: birth: about 0906;
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2198868384
   
9. Title: Legacy NFS Source: "Empress" Eleni Lekapene (Empress of the Byzantine Empire) -
   Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2676700743