Maria of Alania - Early Years and Accession To The Throne

Early Years and Accession To The Throne

Being a daughter of the Georgian monarch, Bagrat IV, Martha was in line of succession to the Georgian throne behind her brother, future George II of Georgia. At a fresh age of 5 she was sent Constantinople to further her education at the Byzantine court under the patronage of Empress Theodora in 1056. The latter, however, died later in the year and Martha returned home to Georgia. In 1065 she married the future emperor Michael, a son of Constantine X Doukas, and became an empress when Michael was enthroned in 1071. Their marriage was an important exception because members of the Byzantine imperial family usually married only Greeks, and among the few cases of them marrying non-Greek "barbarians" was Romanos II's marriage to Bertha of Italy and Justinian II to Theodora of Khazaria.

This period of Maria's marriage was marred by Michael's military failures in Anatolia against the Seljuk Turks, as well as currency devaluation, which caused growing dissatisfaction and culminated in a 1078 coup that ousted Michael and enthroned Nikephoros III Botaneiates. Michael was forced to become a monk at the Stoudios Monastery and Maria went to a Petrion monastery with her son Constantine, but she did not become a Nun, possibly hinting that she had some future plans at the imperial court.