Michael VII Doukas

Byzantine emperor

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Lived 1050–1090, aged 40

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49 languages
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Era
1050–1090
Aged 40

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

A Byzantine emperor whose nickname translates to "minus a quarter" — earned because the currency lost a fourth of its value under his watch. Michael VII's reign saw the empire hemorrhage territory, tax revenue poured into luxury while soldiers mutinied for lack of pay, and mercenaries who were supposed to defend the throne turned on it instead.

Biography

About

Michael VII Doukas took the throne in 1071 and quickly proved unequal to it, leaning heavily on his finance minister Nikephoritzes, who raised taxes to fund court extravagance while starving the military budget. The army mutinied. Bari fell. The Balkans erupted in open revolt. The Seljuk Turks pressed from the east, and the empire's own hired soldiers began fighting against it. By 1078, with no path forward, Michael abdicated and withdrew to a monastery.

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