Theophanu

Theophanu Skleraina (; also Theophania, Theophana, Theophane or Theophano; ; 955 15 June 991) was empress of the Holy Roman Empire by marriage to Emperor Otto II, and regent of the Empire during the minority of their son, Emperor Otto III, from 983 until her death in 991. She was the niece of the Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes. Theophanu was known to be a forceful and capable ruler, and her status in the history of the Empire was in many ways exceptional. Her official titles contained 'consors imperii', which her stepmother Adelaide of Italy already received and 'comperatrix augusta', which was modeled after the Byzantine position of the empress to ensure succession and regencies.

==Early life== thumb|upright|Marriage Charter of Empress Theophanu, State Archive, [[Wolfenbüttel.]] According to the marriage certificate issued on 14 April 972 Theophanu is identified as the neptis (niece or granddaughter) of Emperor John I Tzimiskes (925–976, reigned 969–976) who was of Armenian and Byzantine Greek descent. She was of distinguished noble heritage: the Vita Mahthildis identifies her as augusti de palatio and the Annales Magdeburgenses describe her as Grecam illustrem imperatoriae stirpi proximam, ingenio facundam. Recent research tends to concur that she was most probably the daughter of Tzimiskes' brother-in-law (from his first marriage) Constantine Skleros (c. 920–989), brother of Bardas Skleros and great-grandnephew of Basil I, and cousin Sophia Phokas, the daughter of Kouropalatēs Leo Phokas, brother of Emperor Nikephoros II (c. 912–969).