THE PATH TO HOLINESS, AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE PERSON OF SAINT THEOPHANO THE EMPRESS (†893/897)

Abstract

This article deals with the life of saint Theophano, Empress of Byzantium (866/867 893/897), first wife of Emperor Leo VI the Wise,
and her path to sainthood. To do this, we will use the two most complete hagiographic texts available to us, which deal with the life of Theophano and her path to holiness, putting into practice the Ἀζηλότυπον (free from jealousy) and the Ἀμνησίκακον (indulgent) through prayer and exercise. Of the aforementioned texts, the first is the work of an anonymous author who composed the hagiographic text during the reign of Emperor Leo VI, while the second, the complete hagiographic text, comes from the pen of the famous 14th-century Byzantine historian Nicephorus Gregoras. The sanctity of Saint Theophano was acquired through trials, marital infidelity and charity. In the end, her wickedness, piety, charity, and personal ordeal as a betrayed wife are balanced and rewarded by her redemption. The canonization of an empress by the official Church has always interested historians, due to her connection with political power, the social establishment of the time and the gender stereotypes she projected.