A 1044 riot in Constantinople was sparked by an emperor's preference for his mistress
A 11th-century scandal turned violent when the citizens of Constantinople took to the streets to defend the honor of their empress against her husband's public infidelity.
In 1044, the streets of Constantinople erupted in a massive riot sparked by the scandalous behavior of Emperor Constantine IX. The public was outraged by the Emperor's blatant preference for his mistress, Maria Skleraina, whom he treated with more honor than his legal wife, the beloved Empress Zoe.
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