WI: Byzantine Emperor Romanos II Macedon had brothers

[Sevarics]

IOTL, Konstantinos VII Macedon and Helena Lekapena had a son, Leo, who died young, and then Romanos II and his many sisters, among them Theophano who wed Ioannes Kourkouas Tzimiskes when he was co-emperor with Basil II and Konstantinos VIII, Romanos’s sons.

What if his three sisters who in OTL went to convents and didn’t wed were instead born as healthy younger brothers to Romanos II ? Assuming Basil II and Konstantinos VIII aren’t butterflied away, what impact do three additional male Macedonian dynasts have ?

I assume Nikephoros Phokas and Ioannes Kourkouas Tzimiskes would not be raised to co-emperor status with Basil and Konstantinos having so many living uncles.

 

[Italian Sock Monkey]

You're probably going to have dynastic squabbles if Romanos II dies when he does OTL, Basil is probably never going to be Emperor...on the flip side the Macedonian Dynasty might not die out this time.

 

[Sevarics]

You're probably going to have dynastic squabbles if Romanos II dies when he does OTL, Basil is probably never going to be Emperor...on the flip side the Macedonian Dynasty might not die out this time.

Basil might prefer to just be a military commander anyway but he would still be a co-emperor I imagine. Though we do probably see a reiteration of Alexander trying to do away with Constantine VII

 

[Vinization]

There'll be a lot of claimants to the throne, especially if/when these brothers get kids of their own. Combine that with the talented and very ambitious generals the Romans had at the time, and things could get ugly.

 

[ordinarylittleme]

The dynasty won't die out but oh god there will be SO MANY cadet branches.