| Christopher Lekapenos | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of the Romans | |
.jpg) Gold solidus of Romanos I Lekapenos (left) with his son Christopher (right) | |
| Byzantine co-emperor | |
| Reign | 20 May 921 – August 931 |
| Coronation | 20 May 921 |
| Predecessors | Constantine VII Romanos I |
| Successors | Romanos I Constantine VII Constantine Stephen |
| Co-emperors | See list
|
| Born | c. 890–895 |
| Died | August 931 (aged c. 35/40) |
| Spouse | Sophia |
| Issue more... | Irene, Empress of Bulgaria |
| Dynasty | Lekapenos |
| Father | Romanos I Lekapenos |
| Mother | Theodora |
Christopher Lekapenos or Lecapenus (Greek: Χριστόφορος Λακαπηνός, romanized: Christóphoros Lakapenōs) was the eldest son of Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944) and co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 921 until his death in 931. Christopher was given the position of megas hetaireiarches (commander of the palace guard) in spring 919, after Romanos assumed guardianship of the underage Emperor Constantine VII. Romanos, who had made himself emperor in 920, raised Christopher to co-emperor on 21 May 921 in order to give his family precedence over Constantine VII's Macedonian line. In 928 Christopher's father-in-law, Niketas, unsuccessfully attempted to incite Christopher to usurp his father, resulting in Niketas being banished. Christopher died in August 931, succeeded by his father and two brothers, Stephen Lekapenos and Constantine Lekapenos, and Constantine VII. In December 944 his brothers overthrew and exiled their father, but they themselves were exiled after attempting to oust Constantine VII.