Irene, Theodora, Zoe, and EMPIRE are all crossword solutions for the term Byzantine Empress. Irene was a Byzantine Empress who reigned from 797 to 802 CE. She was the first woman to take the throne in her own right. Theodora was a Byzantine Empress who reigned from 1042 to 1056 CE. She was the wife of the Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and is remembered for her strong influence on the politics of the EMPIRE. Zoe was a Byzantine Empress who reigned from 1028 to 1050 CE. She was the daughter of Constantine VIII and is remembered for her patronage of the arts. EMPIRE refers to the Byzantine EMPIRE, which was the continuation of the Roman EMPIRE in the East. It lasted from 330 to 1453 CE and was centered in Constantinople.