MICHAEL, the name of six emperors of Constantinople.—I. succeeded to the throne on the death of Stauracius, in 811, who conducted a war against the Bulgarians, and was a great and just monarch; he was deposed by Leo, the Armenian, a gen, in his service, 813, and retiring to a monastery, passed the remainder of his life in devotional exercises. —II. was born in upper Phrygta, of an obscure family, but was ennobled by Leo, the Armenian. The latter, however, appears to have become angered against him, and imprisoned and condemned him to death. His life was saved by- the assassination of Leo, and Michael was crowned emperor, 820. He was cruel and arbitrary.; and his attempt to force his subjects to celebrate the Jewish Sabbath and passover brought about a revolt on the part of his gen. Eupheruius, who proclaimed himself emperor. The rebellious gen. was slain near Syracuse, in Sicily. Michael was surnamed " the stam merer." During his reign the Saracens of Spain wrested the island of Crete from the empire, and in 827 the Aglabite Saracens seized Sicily. Michael died. 829.-111 suc ceeded his father, Theophilus, in 842, under the regency of his mother, Theodora, whom he compelled, with her daughters, to enter a convent. In his reign the Russians first
appear RS foes to the empire; and the foundation for the separation of the eastern and western churches was laid by- a quarrel between the patriarch Photius and the pope Nicholas I. Michael was assassinated by Basil the Macedonian in 867.—IV surnamed the Papblagonian, from the place of his birth, was raised to the throne by the empress Zoe, who, on account of her infatuation for him, murdered her husband He was suc cessful in wars against the Saracens and Bulgarians, but retired to a monastery, where he died in 1041.—V. succeeded the last-named, who was his uncle. Having .exiled the empress Zoe, who desired to marry him, he was overthrown by the people, and after having. his eyes put out, was sent to a monastery.—V1. succeeded the empress Theodora in 1056, but retained the throne only a year, when he was compelled to resign in favor of Isaac Comnenus, while he rctirea to a monastery-. Micha.el VI. was surnamed Strati otieus, and with him the Macedonian dynasty became extinct, his successor being of the family Comneni.