The Downfall of the Lekapenoi Pt. 2

Political event

Syres had headed the Emperor's forces in Constantinople when the Kievan Rus attacked the summer 941. His ingenious use of the Greek Fire won him renown, even with Romanos who took credit for the victory. With a delegation from Kiev on their way to Constantinople in the spring, all seemed calm. Romanos and Constantine are very close as they watch 5 year old Romanos II grow up in the palace. This stirs the envy of Romanos' sons and they overthrow him, forcing him into a monastery in 944. However, Constantine uses the love of his people to stop his brothers-in-law and sends Syres to exile them to the monastery with their father. The following years saw peace and prosperity in the Empire until Constantine decides to send Syres west, to Al Andalus on a diplomatic mission. He did so after realizing his friend was not aging, wanting to keep him safe from persecution or worse.

In 941, while most of the army under Kourkouas was absent in the East, a fleet of 15 old ships under the protovestiarios Theophanes had to defend Constantinople from a Kievan raid. The invaders were defeated at sea, through the use of Greek fire, and again at land, when they landed in Bithynia, by the returning army under Kourkouas. In 944 Romanos concluded a treaty with Prince Igor of Kiev. This crisis having passed, Kourkouas was free to return to the eastern frontier.   Romanos spent the last years of his life in exile on the Island of Prote as a monk and died on June 15, 948. With the help of his wife, Constantine VII succeeded in removing his brothers-in-law, and on January 27, 945, Constantine VII became sole emperor at the age of 39, after a life spent in the shadow. Several months later, Constantine VII crowned his own son Romanos II co-emperor. Having never exercised executive authority, Constantine remained primarily devoted to his scholarly pursuits and relegated his authority to bureaucrats and generals, as well as to his energetic wife Helena Lekapene.