25 dic 970 anni - Palace Coup of 970

Descrizione:

After the death of Sophia in 954, Michael III abandoning whatever desire he might have had to actually use the power he held as Emperor for anything other than his own short-term ends, and neglected his duties and wasted vast amounts of treasure on vanity projects, drinking, and partying, causing a general economic decline in the Empire.

Maybe realize the tax revenues was declining, or more likely, out of some misguided piety, Michael III ordered a general suppression of other heresy and non-Christian religions within Roman borders. The declining of tax revenues made up by the sale of lands confiscated from accused heretics for some time, but as more properties were sold the bottom fell out of the market. Fortunes were wiped out almost overnight as the market found itself completely flooded by Imperial confiscation. Even his courts not immune to the same charges, there're four times during his reign mass arrests swirled through the palace, wiping out bureaucrats and officials were fired or executed to be replaced by new favorites.

The suppression of heresis and one of these purges led to his doom, as he dicided to execute his competent and capable Imperial Sakellarios, Nepos. This led to Nepos conspiring with Greek and Anatolian magnates, and then with the Tagmata commanders as well. On Christmas Day of 970, soldiers burst into the Michael III's chambers where he lay with his fifth wife, and killed both of them. With blood still staining their swords they then grabbed Nikephorous and proclaimed him Emperor, and the latter was crowned as Emperor Nikephorous II on New Years Day 956

The army was side with Nepos not only because Michael III's purge in his court, but also because the army were most filled with Askesists recent years. Askesists were a very soldier focused branch of Christianity, expounding on the virtues of martial life, the austere conditions of which they claimed matched those expounded by Christ against wealth and extravagance. This make Askesists very popular and spread very quikely among the army, and it was one of major heresy that Michael III suppressed, cause Michael III's unpopular within the army.

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