Vikings: Valhalla season 3 continued the story of Emperor Romanos (Nikolai Kinski) and Empress Zoe (Sofya Lebedeva), but the show changed many parts of their real story. After introducing them in Vikings: Valhalla season 2, the final season went deeper into the story of Byzantine Emperor Romanos and his wife, Empress Zoe, who traveled from Novgorod with Harald (Leo Suter), Leif (Sam Corlett), and their crew. Harald and Eleana (later Empress Zoe) got close during their trip, but he didn’t know she was a “gift” to the Emperor until they met him.

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 caught up with the main characters seven years after season 2’s ending, revealing that Harald and Leif had stayed in Constantinople and were serving the Emperor. Harald became the leader of the Varangian Guard and continued his secret affair with Zoe… except that it was a plan by the Emperor as he couldn’t give Zoe a child. Harald’s story took a turn when he was framed for the Emperor’s murder and sentenced to death, and this and many other parts of Vikings: Valhalla’s Constantinople storyline weren’t historically accurate.

Emperor Romanos III Argyros As Byzantine’s Ruler

Emperor Romanos III Ruled From 1028 To 1034

Romanos Argyros was born in 968. Romanos’ grandfather, also named Romanos Argyros, married Agatha, the daughter of Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos. Romanos was a Byzantine noble and senior official in Constantinople and was chosen by Emperor Constantine VIII to succeed him. The Emperor had no sons, so he wanted Constantine Dalassenos, an experienced military commander, to marry his daughter, Zoe, but his advisors persuaded him to choose Romanos instead, as they preferred not to have a strong military figure as Emperor. Romanos was forced to divorce his wife and marry Zoe. Three days later, Emperor Constantine VIII passed away.

Romanos wasn’t an effective emperor, as he disorganized the tax system, which, in turn, destabilized and undermined the military. In 1030, Romanos led a disastrous military expedition against Aleppo (in Syria), who had already accepted the Byzantines as overlords. The Byzantines were defeated, and later on, Romanos was almost captured when the Emir of Aleppo launched an attack. According to historians, this defeat led the Byzantine army to become a “laughing-stock”. Romanos’ popularity couldn’t be saved, not even by George Maniakes’ successful defense of Edessa, and he faced many conspiracies, mostly by his sister-in-law Theodora, Zoe’s sister.

In 1029, Theodora planned to marry the Bulgarian prince Presian and take the throne from Romanos, but her plan was discovered and Presian was blinded and tonsured as a monk. In 1031, Theodora conspired with Constantine Diogenes, the Archon of Sirmium, who was later forcibly confined in a monastery. In his marriage with Zoe, Romanos wasn’t doing great, either. As Zoe was obsessed with continuing the Macedonian dynasty, she desperately tried to get pregnant as soon as she married Romanos and went as far as to use potions, magic charms, and amulets, but to no success.

The failure to conceive alienated Romanos and Zoe, with the former refusing to share their bed and limiting Zoe’s expenses. This led Zoe to have various affairs, which Romanos tolerated, but he also had a mistress himself. Romanos even ended up inadvertently allowing one of Zoe’s lovers, Michael, to become one of his personal servants, and this was part of his decline.

How Romanos Died: Was He Assassinated?

Romanos III Died In 1034

There’s a lot of mystery around Emperor Romanos’ death, as there’s suspicion of murder, though not like in Vikings: Valhalla. In the show, George Maniakes (Florian Munteanu) planned the Emperor’s death and framed Harald for it. At a party where everyone wore golden masks, and shortly after confessing to Harald that he had asked Zoe to seduce him, a woman disguised as Zoe cut the Emperor’s throat in front of Harald. As Harald tried to help the Emperor, Maniakes and the emperor’s guard came in, and blamed Harald for the Emperor’s death.

The real George Maniakes wasn’t involved in the death of Emperor Romanos, but Zoe might have been. Romanos became ill, and it’s widely believed that he was poisoned by Zoe and Michael, especially as she openly spoke about making Michael the next Emperor. Romanos was found dying in his bath, but according to court official Michael Psellus, some of Romanos’ entourage drowned him and tried to strangle him under the water. Byzantine historian John Scylitzes stated Romanos was drowned on Michael’s orders, while historian Matthew of Edessa says Zoe poisoned Romanos.

Was Empress Zoe Having An Affair With Harald Sigurdsson?

The Real Harald Hardrada Met Empress Zoe

Harald’s attraction to Zoe began on their journey to Constantinople and continued behind the Emperor’s back in Vikings: Valhalla season 3, except that the Emperor was the one who tasked Zoe with seducing Harald. The real Harald Hardrada did meet Empress Zoe as he was the leader of the Varangian Guard (though not for Romanos but for Emperor Michael IV). Rumor among the Varangians was that Zoe wanted Harald for herself, so much so that she turned down his request to marry her niece or granddaughter. However, there’s nothing that can confirm this.

What Happened To Empress Zoe After Romanos’ Death

Empress Zoe Continued Ruling For Many More Years

In Vikings: Valhalla, Zoe was threatened by Maniakes and thus was forced to marry him, but after Harald escaped, killed Maniakes, and fled, Zoe’s fate was left unknown. The real Empress Zoe married Michael on the same day Romanos died, and Michael became Emperor Michael IV. As he was unprepared to rule, he delegated much of his activities to his brother, John the Orphanotrophos. Their marriage was far from what Zoe expected, and Michael feared his wife would turn on him as she had done with Romanos, so he excluded her from politics and sent her back to the gynaeceum under strict surveillance.

When Michael was dying in 1041, John forced Zoe to adopt his nephew, Michael Kalaphates, so the power would remain in his hands. Michael IV died in December 1041 and Kalaphates was crowned emperor Michael V. The new emperor banished Zoe to a monastery, where she was forcibly tonsured and sworn into a religious order. This caused an uprising in Constantinople, and in 1042, the mob revolted against Michael V in support of Zoe and Theodora. The sisters were brought back to the capital to co-rule and were crowned that same year, while Michael V was arrested, blinded, and taken to a monastery.

After two months of ruling together, Zoe began looking for a new husband to stop Theodora from increasing her influence. Zoe married her former lover, Constantine Monomachos, who became Emperor Constantine IX – however, he brought his mistress, Maria Skleriana, with him. Zoe continued to rule until her death in 1050 at the age of 72.