A Byzantine prisoner avoided execution in 1068 by marrying the empress instead
Facing a death sentence for attempting to seize the throne, a Byzantine general managed to save his life and become emperor by marrying the very woman who held his fate in her hands.
In 1068, the Byzantine Empire witnessed a stunning reversal of fortune. Romanos IV Diogenes was a charismatic general who had been sentenced to death for attempting to usurp the throne. However, Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa, acting as regent, realized she needed a strong military leader to protect the empire's borders from invading Turks.
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