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It was the scandal with his marriages that soured his relations with the Church. Theophano was his first wife, a marriage forced by Basil. She died in 897 without producing an heir. His second wife was Zoe Zaoutzaine, who died in 899, again without an heir. Although the Church would not bless more than two marriages, Leo again married, his third wife was Eudokia Baiana who died in 901. To avoid a greater [[sin]] by marrying a fourth time, Leo took Zoe Karbonopsina as his mistress and then married her when she gave birth to a son in 905. This incurred the wrath of Patr. Nicholas Mysticus. After replacing Nicholas as patriarch with [[Euthymius I Syncellus of Constantinople|Euthymius I Syncellus]], Leo's fourth marriage was recognized by the patriarch. This action opened a conflict within the Church. Leo aggravated the situation greatly by appealing to the Bishop of Rome to obtain papal consent, thus providing an opening for papal intervention into affairs of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Even though his marriages created problems for him with the Church, Leo initiated the [[Translation (relics)|translation ]] of the [[relics]] of St. [[Lazarus]] to Constantinople in 890 and is credited with composing several [[stichera]] that are chanted on [[Lazarus Saturday]].
Having obtained an heir with Zoe Karbonopsina, which Leo legitimized through his [[canon law|uncanonical]] marriage, Leo strengthened the position of his son, the future [[Constantine VII]], for succession, by making him co-emperor on [[May 15]], 908. Constantine was two years old. Leo VI died on [[May 11]], 912, and was succeeded by his younger brother [[Alexander II (emperor)|Alexander]] who had been co-emperor since 879.
