She was about fifteen years old when she arrived in Italy to be married to the sixteen-year-old Otto, heir to the Holy Roman Emperor and already King of the Romans. Their marriage had been arranged as 
part of a peace-treaty between the Eastern and Western Empires. Very little has been recorded about her, except that she was beautiful and loved by her husband. However, although she apparently 
did not always get on with her mother-in-law, Theophano became a competent Empress in due course, at times acting in his absence as his representative. Yet they did manage to spend most of their lives 
together, indicating that their marriage had become more than just pre-arranged. 
This had taken place in Rome on 14 April 972 and, according to tradition, she was crowned by Pope John XIII. In the marriage contract, as a dowry she was given extensive properties in Italy as 
well as in The Netherlands. Suddenly, on 7 May 973, her father-in-law died and as a result her husband became Emperor Otto II and she his Empress. In 977 their first child, a daughter, was born followed by another daughter almost a year later. In 980 a son and heir, Otto, was born followed by a third daughter. 
She accompanied her husband in his unsuccessful campaigns against the Saracens in Southern Italy. Having ignored his health, Otto II died in Theophano's arms on 7 December 983 and was buried in Rome's St. Peter's Basilica. 
Many difficult and unhappy years were now to come for Theophano, deserted in a time of great need by those people once favoured by her husband. Bishop Diederik of Metz, often favoured by Otto II, became her implacable enemy trying to damage her reputation. This he continued to do even after she had died. 
Her son, Emperor Otto III, was crowned as King on 25 May 983 in Aachen as a first step to being acknowledged as Holy Roman Emperor. Bishop Warin of Cologne, custodian of the little boy, gave him to his great-uncle Heinrich, Duke of Bavaria. However, this Heinrich had only just been released from prison, where he had been locked up because of his opposition to his brother Emperor Otto I and his nephew Emperor Otto II. At first Heinrich pretended that he wanted to act as Regent for the three-year-old Emperor Otto III, but it soon became obvious that he wanted to become Emperor himself. 
Next he took possession of Theophano's eldest daughter, Adelheid, and in Quedlinburg was accepted as King of the Romans by some of Germany's nobles. However, many more nobles had sworn to protect the young Emperor and so forced Heinrich to promise to return the boy to his mother. 
Before the kidnapping of her son, Theophano had made arrangements to return to Germany and take upon her the Regency which was justly hers. Her mother-in-law, Dowager Empress Adelaide, remained in Italy as Regent of the Italian kingdom. On 29 June 984, Heinrich was forced to appear at a court at Rohr near Meiningen-im-Grabfeld but refused to hand over the Emperor. In the afternoon of that day an unusual event took place; apparently a bright star appeared in the sky and, impressed by such a supernatural phenomenon, he returned both children to their mother. 
As a result of the Empress Widow Adelaide having interceded for Heinrich, he was left unpunished, though for some time he still tried to become Emperor. This was until 985 when he was forced to abandon any claims, while at the same time Theophano had forced his supporters to accept her rule. Neither Heinrich nor his supporters were punished when Theophano again refused to take revenge as she, with political insight, realised that this would only extend the unrest in the Empire. 
While her three daughters were brought up in convents, two would remain there to become Abbesses. Her son remained at her court where she took great care with his education and, as a result, Otto III 
became one of the best educated amongst the Holy Roman Emperors. Had he not died at twenty-one, he would have made a much larger impact on history. 
As Regent, Theophano was intelligent and active, thus achieving much more than what others would have done by the sword. There were border skirmishes with Slav tribes as well as with the Frankish kings. She obtained more co-operation from the magnates than did her father-in-law, Otto The Great. As regent she was required to travel a great deal and, due to her capacity of negotation, she ensured a 
peaceful period for Germany. 
After a visit to Italy, she returned to Germany in May 990 and from there to Nijmegen, where she died on 15 June 991, probably only thirty-five years of age. 
 

Source: Leo van de Pas