Editing Michael VI Bringas

{{Short description|Byzantine emperor from 1056 to 1057}}
{{Redirect|Michael VI|the Coptic Pope|Pope Michael VI of Alexandria}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name            =Michael VI Bringas
| image= Tetarteron of Michael VI (reverse).png
| caption         =Gold ''[[tetarteron]]'' of Michael's reign
| succession      = [[Byzantine emperor]]
| reign           = 31 August 1056 –<br/>30 August 1057
|coronation       = 22 August 1056<ref name=c>[[Jonathan Shepard]] (1977). «[https://www.academia.edu/31146685/Isaac_Comnenus_coronation_day Isaac Comnenus' coronation day]». ''Byzantinoslavica'' '''38''': 22–30.</ref>
| predecessor     =[[Theodora Porphyrogenita]]
| successor       =[[Isaac&nbsp;I Komnenos]]
| spouse          =
| issue           =
| dynasty         =
| father          =
| mother          =
| death_date      = after 1057
|title=[[List of Byzantine emperors|Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans]]}}

'''Michael&nbsp;VI Bringas''' ({{langx|el|Μιχαήλ Βρίγγας}}; died {{circa|1057}}), also called '''Stratiotikos''' ({{langx|el|Στρατιωτικός}}, "the military one, the warlike") and '''the Old''' ({{langx|el|γέρων}}, ''geron''), reigned as [[Byzantine emperor]] from 1056 to 1057.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=1366}}

==Career==
[[File:Histamenon of Michael VI.jpg|thumb|330x330px|''[[Histamenon]]'' of Michael VI Bringas.]]
Apparently a relative of the powerful courtier [[Joseph Bringas]] (influential during the reign of [[Romanos II]]),{{sfn|Norwich|1993|p=327}} Michael Bringas was an elderly patrician (hence the nickname "Geron") and a member of the court bureaucracy when he ascended to the throne.{{sfn|Theotokis|Mesko|2020|p=59, note 43}} He had formerly served as a military finance minister (''[[logothetes tou stratiotikou]]'', hence the epithet ''Stratiotikos'').{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=1366}}{{efn|Despite his nickname ''stratiotikos'' {{lit|military man}}, Michael was not an active army officer until 1056, but instead a ''logothetes'', responsible for the pay and provisioning of the imperial soldiers, see {{harvnb|Theotokis|Mesko|2020|p=59, note 43}}}} Michael Bringas was chosen for his pliability by the empress [[Theodora (11th century)|Theodora]] as her successor shortly before her death on 31 August 1056.{{sfn|Norwich|1993|p=326}} The appointment had been secured through the influence of [[Leo Paraspondylos]], Theodora's most trusted adviser, who remained chief minister.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=1366}}

Although Michael managed to survive a conspiracy organized by [[Theodosios Monomachos|Theodosios]], a nephew of the former emperor [[Constantine IX]] Monomachos,{{sfn|Norwich|1993|p=327}} he was faced with the disaffection of the military aristocracy. His most costly error was to ignore the perceived rights of the general [[Nikephoros Bryennios (ethnarch)|Nikephoros Bryennios]], who had been demoted and reduced to poverty after falling out with the Empress Theodora; Michael restored Bryennios's military rank, but not his confiscated wealth and estates.<ref name="Finlay, p. 533">Finlay, p. 533</ref> Michael compounded his error by rebuffing Bryennios after he had already ordered the restored general to lead a division of 3,000 men to reinforce the army in [[Cappadocia]].<ref name="Finlay, p. 533" /> From here Bryennios began plotting to overthrow Michael&nbsp;VI, and it was his capture that precipitated the military nobility to rally around the general [[Isaac&nbsp;I Komnenos|Isaac Komnenos]], who was proclaimed emperor in [[Paphlagonia]] on 8 June 1057.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=1366}}

Soon after, the government's army was routed at the [[Battle of Petroe]] (20 August 1057) near [[Nicaea]],{{sfn|Finlay|1853|pp=536}} and Isaac Komnenos advanced on [[Constantinople]]. Michael&nbsp;VI attempted to negotiate with the rebels through the famous courtier [[Michael Psellus|Michael Psellos]], offering to adopt Isaac as his son and to grant him the title of ''kaisar'' ([[Caesar (title)|caesar]]),{{sfn|Norwich|1993|p=332}} but his proposals were publicly rejected. Privately Isaac showed himself more open to negotiation, and he was promised the status of co-emperor. However, during the course of these secret negotiations, a riot in favor of Isaac broke out in Constantinople. Patriarch [[Michael Cerularius|Michael Keroularios]] convinced Michael&nbsp;VI to abdicate in Isaac's favor on 30 August 1057.{{sfn|Norwich|1993|p=332}} The emperor duly followed the patriarch's advice and became a monk. He retired to his private home and died there shortly thereafter.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=1366}}

==Sources==
===Primary sources===
* [[Michael Psellus]], ''Chronographia''.
* {{Cite book|editor-last=Thurn|editor-first=Hans|title=Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum|year=1973|location=Berlin; New York|publisher=De Gruyter|isbn=978-3110022858|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79jH-QXdf0EC}}

===Secondary sources===
* {{citation | last = Norwich | first = John Julius | title =Byzantium: The Apogee | publisher = Penguin | year = 1993 | isbn = 0140114483}}
* {{citation | editor-first = Alexander | editor-last = Kazhdan | editor-link=Alexander Kazhdan | title = Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium | title-link = Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0195046526}}
*{{cite book|last1=Theotokis |first1=Georgios |last2=Mesko |first2=Marek |title=War in Eleventh-Century Byzantium |year=2020 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dBcHEAAAQBAJ |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9780429576881 }}
*{{cite book |last=Finlay |first=George |author-link=George Finlay |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_4D8OAAAAYAAJ |title=History of the Byzantine Empire from 716–1057 |publisher=William Blackwood & Sons |year=1853 |location=Edinburgh |oclc=906577940 |access-date=3 June 2018}}
*{{1911|wstitle=Michael (emperors)|volume=18|pages=359–360}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Byzantine Empire}}
*[[List of Byzantine emperors]]

==References==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Theodora Porphyrogenita|Theodora]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine emperor]]|years=1056&ndash;1057}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Isaac I Komnenos|Isaac I]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Roman emperors|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael 06 Bringas}}
[[Category:11th-century Byzantine emperors]]
[[Category:Byzantine emperors who abdicated]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodox monks]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Place of birth unknown]]
[[Category:1050s deaths]]
[[Category:1050s in the Byzantine Empire]]
[[Category:Logothetai tou stratiotikou]]