Editing Michael II (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Solidus of Michael II.png|thumb|200px|Gold ''[[solidus (coin)|solidus]]'' of Michael II]]
Michael was born {{circa|770}} in [[Amorium]], in [[Phrygia]], into a [[Cappadocian Greeks|Cappadocian]] family of professional peasant-soldiers who received land from the government for their military service. They may have been members of the sect of the ''[[Athinganoi]]''.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=433}}

Michael first rose to prominence as a close aide (''[[spatharios]]'') of the general [[Bardanes Tourkos]], alongside his future antagonists [[Leo V the Armenian|Leo the Armenian]] and [[Thomas the Slav]]. He married Bardanes' daughter [[Thekla (wife of Michael II)|Thekla]], while Leo married another daughter. Michael and Leo abandoned Bardanes shortly after he rebelled against Emperor [[Nikephoros I]] in 803, and they were rewarded with higher military commands: Michael was named the Emperor's [[Count of the Tent]]. Michael was instrumental in Leo's overthrow of [[Michael I Rhangabe]] in 813, after Rangabe's repeated military defeats against the Bulgarians. Under Leo V, Michael was appointed to command the elite ''[[tagma (military)|tagma]]'' of the [[Excubitors]].
[[File:MadridSkylitzesLeoMichaelFol13r.jpg|thumb|Michael the Amorian having an argument with [[Leo V the Armenian|Leo V]].]]

Thekla and Michael had only one known son, [[Theophilos (emperor)|Theophilos]] (813 – 20 January 842). The existence of a daughter called Helena is possible but there is a contradiction between different sources. Helena is known as the wife of [[Theophobos]], a patrician executed in 842 for conspiring to gain the throne for himself. [[George Hamartolos]] and Theophanes report him marrying the sister of the Empress [[Theodora (wife of Theophilos)|Theodora]]. [[Joseph Genesius]] records Theophobos marrying the sister of the Emperor Theophilos. Whether Helena was sister or sister-in-law to Theophilos is thus unclear.

Michael became disgruntled with Leo V when he divorced Michael's sister-in-law. In late 820, agents of the [[logothetes tou dromou|Postal Logothete]] uncovered a plot led by Michael to overthrow Leo, who then imprisoned Michael and sentenced him to [[death by burning]]. Empress consort [[Theodosia (wife of Leo V)|Theodosia]] secured a postponement of the execution until after Christmas. This allowed Michael to rally undetected plotters to assassinate Leo on Christmas morning in the palace chapel and [[political mutilation in Byzantine culture|castrate]] his sons to prevent the continuation of his dynasty. Michael was immediately proclaimed emperor, while still wearing prison chains on his legs. Later the same day, he was [[coronation of the Byzantine emperor|crowned]] by Patriarch [[Theodotus I of Constantinople]].{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=433}}