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Michael III

Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867

PersonDied aged 27humanQ41622

Also known as Michael the Drunkard · Michael III the Drunkard

Born: January 9, 840
2
Sources
1.Stated in Dumbarton Oaks Papers
2.Stated in JSTOR
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Died: September 25, 867
1
Sources
1.pantheon.world/profile/person/Michael_IIIRetrieved 2017-10-09
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Birthplace: Constantinople
Place of death: Constantinople
Citizenship: Byzantine Empire
Occupation: emperor
Positions held: Byzantine emperor(0842–0867)
Spouse: Eudokia Dekapolitissa

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Michael III, also known as Michael the Drunkard, was Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian dynasty. He was given the disparaging epithet the Drunkard by the hostile historians of the succeeding Macedonian dynasty, but modern historical research has rehabilitated his reputation to some extent, demonstrating the vital role his reign played in the resurgence of Byzantine power in the 9th century. He was also the youngest person to bear the imperial title, as well as the youngest to succeed as senior emperor in the Roman Empire. In 867, Michael was assassinated by his successor, Basil I.

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67 statements · 9% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

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43 identifiers linking Michael III across the web's reference databases

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Source last edited October 2, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). Michael III (Q41622). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/michael-iii-Q41622