It is still not known exactly what “Monomakh” means and how this surname appeared in the list of famous names of Byzantium and Russia. But the great importance of the carriers of this family for the whole of Eastern Christianity and our state as a whole cannot be denied.
Surname origin
What does monomax mean? The word Μονομάχος is of Greek origin and is literally translated as "Divine Martial Arts" or "one against God." For the first time, representatives of this family became known in Byzantium in the middle of the 10th century. The origin of this genus is derived from Armenian or Greek ancestors, and Dalassa on the Euphrates River is considered the hometown. Among the Byzantine chronicles in the registers of officials, treasurers, middle-ranking judges is the name "Monomakh", which means a slow but steady ascension of representatives of this kind on the social ladder.
Rulers of Byzantium
The first emperor of the Monomakh clan was Constantine. He became the ruler of Byzantium thanks to his wife Zoe, who chose the son of Judge Constantine as her second husband. The frivolous and voluptuous ruler ruled the Byzantine Empire together with his wife and her sister Theodora.
The time of his reign was marked by several organized uprisings and spontaneous riots, which, however, were quite successfully suppressed. In the capital of the state, the judiciary was reorganized and some modernization was carried out. But basically the rule of Constantine in history is associated with a church schism.
What does Monomakh mean for Christianity? The first attempts to separate from Rome and gain independence. The Nicene Council, conducted by Constantine Monomakh, finally split all Christians into Orthodox and Catholics. Konstantin was also remembered by the way he had rather successfully pursued foreign policy, for example, he effectively reflected the raids of the Rus of Kievan Rus.
Vladimir Monomakh
The son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Yaroslavich, set out on a campaign against Byzantium in 1043 and was defeated by the troops of Constantine. As a sign of the final reconciliation of the two states, the relative of the emperor Anna was given to marry the Russian prince Vsevolod. Vladimir was born from this marriage, having adopted the family name that remained of his grandfather in the reign.
What does Monomakh mean for Russia? First of all, the recognition of the state of Kievan Rus as equal in position of the Byzantine Empire, the definition of princes of the Rurikovich clan as full sovereigns and the expansion of international relations of the Russian state.