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Constantine ((ギリシア語:Κωνσταντῖνος), surnamed Barbaros ("the barbarian", ), was a Byzantine eunuch servant who rose to become ''parakoimomenos'' (head chamberlain) of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise in 911–912, displacing his own former master, Samonas. He held again the post during the regency of Zoe Karbonopsina in 913–919, where he played an important role in the governance of the state. He lost his post after he supported his relative Leo Phokas the Elder in his unsuccessful rivalry with Romanos I Lekapenos over control of the throne, but he was later appointed to the post of ''primikerios'' by Lekapenos. ==Biography== Constantine was the son of a peasant or landholder named Metrios, and hailed from Paphlagonia. He was surnamed "Barbaros", "the barbarian", but it is not clear why. The ''Vita Basilii'' reports that it reflected his foreign origin, but his family seems to have been native Byzantine; it is possible that the ''Vita''s account is a later attempt to explain his surname. Alternatively it could be a derogatory reference to his rustic roots from Paphlagonia. He had been castrated by his father at a young age precisely to open up the possibility of a career at court. Constantine had at least one sister, who was married to the general Leo Phokas the Elder, and was a relative of the eunuch officials Constantine Gongyles and Anastasios Gongyles. Constantine is first mentioned in the sources as a servant or follower—some modern researchers have called him a slave, but this is unlikely—of the ''magistros'' and ''kanikleios'' Basil, of whom nothing is known. He then entered the service of the powerful imperial chamberlain, Samonas. The latter was a eunuch Arab prisoner of war who became a favourite of Emperor Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912), rising to the rank of ''patrikios'', the highest court rank open to a eunuch, and the positions of ''protovestiarios''. By 907 he had been awarded the supreme court post of ''parakoimomenos''. In the same year, in a bid to ingratiate himself with Leo's fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, he presented her with Constantine as a gift. The imperial couple took an immediate liking to Constantine, so much that Samonas began to fear for his own influence and position. As a result he tried to slander Constantine, claiming that he was having an affair with the empress. Leo initially believed the accusations, and had Constantine banished to the Monastery of St. Tarasios. Samonas himself performed Constantine's tonsure. Soon, however, Leo began to miss his new favourite. He had him moved to Samonas' own Speira Monastery, and during an "accidental" visit there, pardoned Constantine and took him with him back to the palace. Samonas then resorted to another scheme: with his secretary Constantine the Rhodian he produced a pamphlet, supposedly written by Constantine, which insulted the emperor, and arranged for Leo to read it. His machinations, however, were betrayed by one of his fellow conspirators, and Samonas was dismissed, tonsured, and banished to the monastery of Martinakios in summer of 908. Constantine succeeded him as imperial ''parakoimomenos''. Leo gifted him with a monastery at Nosiai, which was inaugurated by the emperor and patriarch Euthymius in person. Constantine remained the ''parakoimomenos'' until the Leo's death, but was apparently dismissed by Leo's brother and successor Alexander (r. 912–913), because the sources report that Empress Zoe recalled him to the position of ''parakoimomenos'' when she assumed the regency over her underage son Constantine VII (r. 913–959) in autumn 913. Constantine shortly after accused Theophylact, the newly appointed commander of the imperial bodyguard, the ''Hetaireia'', of plotting to have his brother made emperor. Empress Zoe accordingly dismissed Theophylact. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Constantine Barbaros」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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