Theophano was born of Laconian Greek origin[REF][REF][REF][REF][REF] in the Peloponnesian region of Lakonia,[REF] possibly in the city of Sparta, in 941 [REF].
Theophano's humble origins made her unpopular among Byzantine elites and when her father-in-law, the emperor Constantine VII died, rumors were spread alleging that she had poisoned him.