caption death_date death_place birth_place title image article_title name reign
constantine vii porphyrogennetos 9 november 959 -lrb- aged 54 -rrb- constantinople constantinople emperor of the byzantine empire constantine vii porphyrogenitus.jpg constantine vii
 constantine & nbsp ; vii junior , sole emperor 913 -- 920 -lrb- under regency -rrb- co-emperor and 945 -- 959 908 -- 913 and 920 -- 945
constantine vii

constantine vii porphyrogennetos or porphyrogenitus , `` the purple-born '' -lrb- that is , born in the purple marble slab paneled imperial bed chambers ; ; september 2 , 905 -- november 9 , 959 -rrb- , was the fourth emperor of the macedonian dynasty of the byzantine empire , reigning from 913 to 959 .
he was the son of the emperor leo vi and his fourth wife , zoe karbonopsina , and the nephew of his predecessor , the emperor alexander .
most of his reign was dominated by co-regents : from 913 until 919 he was under the regency of his mother , while from 920 until 945 he shared the throne with romanos lekapenos , whose daughter helena he married , and his sons .
constantine vii is best known for his four books , `` de administrando imperio '' -lrb- bearing in greek the heading Πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον υἱόν Ῥωμανόν -rrb- , `` de ceremoniis '' -lrb- Περὶ τῆς Βασιλείου Τάξεως -rrb- , `` de thematibus '' -lrb- Περὶ θεμάτων Άνατολῆς καὶ Δύσεως -rrb- , and `` vita basilii '' -lrb- Βίος Βασιλείου -rrb- .
his nickname alludes to the purple room of the imperial palace , decorated with porphyry , where legitimate children of reigning emperors were normally born .
constantine was also born in this room , although his mother zoe had not been married to leo at that time .
nevertheless , the epithet allowed him to underline his position as the legitimized son , as opposed to all others who claimed the throne during his lifetime .
sons born to a reigning emperor held precedence in the eastern roman line of succession over elder sons not born `` in the purple '' .
