15 Facts About Anna Dalassene

Anna Dalassene administered the empire as regent during his many absences from Constantinople on long military campaigns during the early part of his reign.

Anna Dalassene tried hard to persuade John to become emperor and did everything she could, even to "tears and groans" to make John change his mind, but to no avail.

At any rate, Anna Dalassene remained implacably opposed to the Doukas family thereafter.

Anna Dalassene allied herself closely with Eudokia Makrembolitissa's second husband, Romanos IV Diogenes, supporting him in his struggle against the members of the intrigues of the Doukas family.

When he died of an ear infection in early 1071, Anna Dalassene hurried to his deathbed in Bithynia.

Anna Dalassene was therefore exiled along with her sons to the island of Prinkipos in early 1072.

Anna Dalassene was to play a prominent role in the Komnenian coup d'etat of 1081, along with the current empress, Maria of Alania.

Anna Dalassene refused to go with them and demanded that they allow her to pray to the Mother of God for protection.

Straboromanos tried to give her his cross, but for Anna Dalassene this was not sufficiently large enough so that all bystanders could witness the oath.

Anna Dalassene demanded that the cross be personally sent by Botaneiates as a vow of his good faith.

Anna Dalassene obliged, sending a complete assurance for the family with his own cross.

Anna Dalassene was highly successful in three important aspects of the revolt: she bought time for her sons to steal imperial horses from the stables and escape the city, she distracted the emperor and gave her sons time to gather and arm their troops and she gave a false sense of security to Botaneiates that there was no real treasonous coup against him.

Anna Dalassene however was allowed to choose the next patriarch, Eustratius Garidas as a compensation.

Anna Dalassene was however constantly at odds with her daughter-in-law Irene and had, perhaps egregiously, assumed total responsibility for the upbringing and education of her granddaughter Anna Komnene.

Anna Dalassene Dalassena is memorialized in Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party.