Also known as Porphyrogennetos. He was crowned co-emperor in 908 at the age of 3. After the death of Leo VI in 912 he became sole emperor but did not rule for himself until 945. He was dominated by Romanos I Lekapenos, whose daughter he married. Romanos’ sons briefly rebelled against Constantine VII, but he defeated them, thereby becoming an independent ruler. Under his rule there was the ‘Macedonian Renaissance’, because of the increase in literary texts. Constantine VII himself also wrote books, including a history of his father, Leo VI, and grandfather, Basil I, as well as a prescriptive text on how to be a good emperor. He died in 959.