| Basil II | |
| Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire | |
 |
|
| Reign | nominally from 960 (as co-emperor), effectively 10 January 976 - 15 December 1025 |
|---|---|
| Born | 958 |
| Died | 15 December 1025 |
| Predecessor | John I Tzimiskes |
| Successor | Constantine VIII |
| Dynasty | Macedonian dynasty |
| Father | Romanos II |
| Mother | Theophano |
Basil II, surnamed the Bulgar-slayer (Greek: Βασίλειος Β΄ Βουλγαροκτόνος, Basileios II Boulgaroktonos, 958 – December 15, 1025), also known as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from January 10, 976 to December 15, 1025. This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. For the 976 telephone prefix see Premium-rate telephone number Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 10 — Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of John I Tzimiskes or Tzimisces, (Ιωάννης Α΄ Τζιμισκής Iōannēs I Tzimiskēs; Հովհաննես Ա Չմշկիկ Hovhannes Ayp Chmshgig Constantine VIII ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Η΄ Kōnstantinos VIII) (960&ndash November 15, 1028) was Byzantine emperor The following is a list of emperors of the Byzantine Empire belonging to the Macedonian dynasty (also known as the Armenian Dynasty) of Armenian Romanos II or Romanus II ( Greek: Ρωμανός Β΄ Rōmanos II) (938&ndash 15 March 963) was a Byzantine emperor Theophano was a Byzantine empress She was the daughter-in-law of Constantine VII; wife of Romanos II; wife of Nikephoros II Phokas; lover of John Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Events By Place Asia King Kshemgupta of Kashmir dies and is succeeded by his young son Abhimanyu Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Porphyrogennētos or Porphyrogenitus (Greek Πορφυρογέννητος literally "born in the Purple" was a title given to a son or daughter ( Porphyrogenneta For the Russian ruler see Basil I of Russia Basil I, called the Macedonian ( Greek: Βασίλειος Α΄ο Μακεδών This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians The following is a list of emperors of the Byzantine Empire belonging to the Macedonian dynasty (also known as the Armenian Dynasty) of Armenian Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. For the 976 telephone prefix see Premium-rate telephone number Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 10 — Under his reign, the Byzantine Empire reached its greatest strength in nearly five centuries.
Contents |
Birth and childhood
Basil was the son of Emperor Romanos II by Theophano, whose family was of Armenian descent. Romanos II or Romanus II ( Greek: Ρωμανός Β΄ Rōmanos II) (938&ndash 15 March 963) was a Byzantine emperor Theophano was a Byzantine empress She was the daughter-in-law of Constantine VII; wife of Romanos II; wife of Nikephoros II Phokas; lover of John The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large In 960, he was associated on the throne by his father, but the latter died in 963, when Basil was only five years old. Because he and his brother, the future Emperor Constantine VIII (ruled 1025–1028), were too young to reign in their own right, Basil's mother Theophano married one of Romanos' leading generals, who took the throne as the Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas several months later in 963. Constantine VIII ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Η΄ Kōnstantinos VIII) (960&ndash November 15, 1028) was Byzantine emperor Theophano was a Byzantine empress She was the daughter-in-law of Constantine VII; wife of Romanos II; wife of Nikephoros II Phokas; lover of John Nikephoros was murdered in 969, only to be succeeded by another general, who became Emperor John I Tzimisces and reigned for seven years. John I Tzimiskes or Tzimisces, (Ιωάννης Α΄ Τζιμισκής Iōannēs I Tzimiskēs; Հովհաննես Ա Չմշկիկ Hovhannes Ayp Chmshgig Finally, when John died on January 10, 976, Basil II took the throne as senior emperor. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. For the 976 telephone prefix see Premium-rate telephone number Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 10 —
Asian rebellions and alliance with Rus'
Basil was a brave soldier and a superb horseman; he was to prove himself a strong ruler and an able general. He did not at first display the full extent of his energy. In the early years of his reign, the administration remained in the hands of the eunuch Basil Lekapenos (an illegitimate son of Emperor Romanos I), president of the senate, a wily and gifted man, who hoped that the young emperors would be his puppet. A eunuch (ˈjuːnək is a Castrated man in particular one castrated early enough to have major hormonal consequences the term usually refers to those castrated in order to Basil Lekapenos (died c 985 was the chief administator of the Byzantine Empire from 945 until 985 Romanos I Lekapenos or Romanus I Lecapenus ( Greek: Ρωμανός Α΄ Λακαπήνος Rōmanos I Lakapēnos; Րոմանոս Ա Ղակապենոս Basil waited and watched without interfering, and devoted himself to learning the details of administrative business and instructing himself in military science.
Although Nikephoros II Phokas in particular had proven to be a brilliant military commander during his reign, both he and John I Tzimiskes had proven to be lax administrators. Although John had reportedly planned to curb the power of the landowners at the end of his reign, his death soon after speaking out against them led to rumours that he had been poisoned by Basil Lekapenos, who had acquired vast estates illegally and feared an investigation and punishment. As a result, Basil found himself with a serious problem as soon as his reign began. The great landowners of Asia Minor, Bardas Skleros and Bardas Phokas – who provided many of the empire's soldiers and taxes – were in open revolt against the empire. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Bardas Skleros or Sclerus was a Byzantine general who led a wide-scale Asian Rebellion against Emperor Basil II in 976-979 Bardas Phocas was an eminent Byzantine general who took a conspicuous part in three revolts pro and contra the ruling Macedonian dynasty. Basil, showing the penchant for ruthlessness that would become his trademark, took the field himself and suppressed the rebellions of both Skleros (979) and Phokas (989).
To do so Basil formed an alliance with Prince Vladimir I of Kiev, who had captured the main imperial base in the Crimea, Chersonesos, in 988. Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great ( Old Russian: Володимеръ Святославичь, c Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Chersonesos (Χερσόνησος Chersonesus Old East Slavic: Корсунь Korsun; Херсонес Khersones; also transliterated as Chersonese Vladimir offered to evacuate Chersonesos and to supply 6,000 of his soldiers as reinforcements to Basil. In exchange he demanded to be married to Basil's younger sister Anna (963–1011). Until his baptism Vladimir I of Kiev (c 958 – 1015) was described by Thietmar of Merseburg as a great profligate ( Latin: fornicator At first, Basil hesitated. The Byzantines viewed all the nations of Northern Europe, be they Franks or Slavs, as barbarians. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived Anna herself objected to marrying a barbarian ruler, as such a marriage would have no precedence in imperial annals. But when Vladimir promised to baptize himself and to convert his people to Christianity (though the marriage was not reason of choosing Orthodox religion; there was long running research done by Vladimir of different religions with sending delegates to various countries), Basil finally agreed. Vladimir and Anna were married in the Crimea in 989. The Rus' recruitments were instrumental in ending the rebellion, and they were later organized into the Varangian Guard. The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian
The fall of Basil Lekapenos followed the rebellions. He was accused of plotting with the rebels and punished with exile and the confiscation of his enormous property. Seeking to protect the lower and middle classes, Basil II made ruthless war upon the system of immense estates which had grown up, in Asia Minor and which his predecessor, Romanos I, had endeavored to check.
Campaigns against the Arabs
Having put an end to the internal strife, Basil II then turned his attention to the empire's other enemies. The Byzantine civil wars had weakened the empire's position in the east and the gains of Nikephoros II Phokas and John I Tzimiskes came close to being lost, with Aleppo besieged and Antioch threatened by the enemy. For other meanings see Aleppo (disambiguation. Halab redirects here for other meanings see Halab (disambiguation. In the 995, Basil II with an army of 40,000 men (with 80,000 mules)[1], launched a campaign against the Muslim Arabs and won several battles in Syria, relieving Aleppo, taking over the Orontes valley, and raiding further south, sacking all of the cities from Emesa to Tripoli. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية See Orontid dynasty for the Armenian kings and satraps called Orontes For military actions near the city see Battle of Homs. Homs ( حمص,, anciently called Emesa (ἡ Ἔμεσα or "La Chamelle" Tripoli ( Lebanese Arabic: طرابلس Ṭrāblos or Ṭrēblos locally Ṭrōbles Standard Arabic: Ṭarābulus Τρίπολις Tripolis is the second-largest Although he did not have sufficient forces to drive into Palestine and reclaim Jerusalem, his victories did restore much of Syria to the empire. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية No emperor since Heraclius had been able to hold these lands for any length of time, and they would remain Byzantine for the next 75 years. Heraclius, or Herakleios (Flavius Heraclius Augustus;) (c 575 - February 11, 641) was a Byzantine Emperor, who ruled the East
Bulgarian campaigns
Basil also wanted to restore to the empire territories that it had long lost. At the start of the second millennium, he took on his greatest adversary, Samuil of Bulgaria, who also was of Armenian descent. Bulgaria had been partly subjugated by John I Tzimiskes, but parts of the country had remained outside Byzantine control, under the leadership of Samuil and his brothers. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian As they raided Byzantine lands starting from 976, the Byzantine government sought to cause dissention by first allowing the escape of the captive emperor Boris II of Bulgaria. Boris II (Борис II was emperor ( Tsar) of Bulgaria from 969 to 977 (in Byzantine captivity from 971 This having failed, Basil used a respite from his conflict with the nobility to lead an army of 60,000 men into Bulgaria and besiege Sredets (Sofia) in 986. Sofia (София ˈsɔfija is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria, with a population of 1395568 in the Capital Municipality Taking losses and worried about the loyalty of some of his governors, Basil lifted the siege and headed back for Thrace but fell into an ambush and suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of the Gates of Trajan. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe The battle of the Gates of Trajan ( Bulgarian: Битката при Траянови Врата Μάχη στις Πύλες του Τραϊανού was a battle between
Basil escaped with the help of his Varangian Guard and attempted to make up his losses by turning Samuil's brother Aron against him. Aron was tempted with Basil's offer of his own sister Anna in marriage, but the negotiations failed when Aron discovered that the bride he was sent was a fake. By 987 Aron had been eliminated by Samuil, and Basil was busy fighting both Skleros and Phokas in Asia Minor. Although the titular emperor Roman of Bulgaria was captured in 991, Basil lost Moesia to the Bulgarians. Roman (Роман was emperor ( Tsar) of Bulgaria from 977 to 997 (in Byzantine captivity from 991 Moesia (Μοισία Moisía; Мизия Miziya; Moesia Мезија Mezija) was an ancient region and Roman province situated in the In 992, Basil II concluded a treaty with Pietro Orseolo II by the terms that Venice's custom duties in Constantinople would be reduced from 30 nomismata to 17 nomismata in return for the Venetians agreeing to transport Byzantine troops to southern Italy in times of war. Pietro II Orseolo was the Doge of Venice from 991 to 1009He began the period of eastern expansion of Venice that lasted for the better part of 500 years Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest [2]
From 1000, Basil II was able to focus on his war with Bulgaria again. Samuil had extended his rule from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea and raided into central Greece, and Basil was determined to reverse the fortunes of the empire. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In 1001–1002, the Byzantines were able to regain control of Moesia, and in 1003 he raided into Macedonia, taking Skopje. Macedonia is a Geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe whose area was re-defined in the early 20th century Skopje (Скопје; Shkup or Shkupi is the Capital and largest city in the Republic of Macedonia, with more than a quarter of the population In 1005, the governor of Durazzo surrendered his city to the Byzantines. During the next several years, the Byzantines failed to make any significant gains.
Finally, on July 29, 1014, Basil II outmaneuvered the Bulgarian army in the Battle of Kleidion, with Samuil separated from his force. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat The Battle of Kleidion (bg Битка при с Ключ Битка при Беласица Беласишка битка grc Μάχη του Κλειδίου also Clidium Having crushed the Bulgarians, Basil was said to have captured 15,000 prisoners and blinded 99 of every 100 men, leaving 150 one-eyed men to lead them back to their ruler, who fainted at the sight and died two days later suffering a stroke. Although this may be an exaggeration, this gave Basil his nickname Boulgaroktonos, "the Bulgar-slayer" in later tradition.
Bulgaria fought on for four more years, but finally submitted in 1018. This victory and the later submission of the Serbs fulfilled one of Basil's goals, as the empire regained its ancient Danube River frontier for the first time in 400 years. Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Before returning to Constantinople, Basil II celebrated his triumph in Athens. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's
Khazar campaign
Although the power of the Khazar Khaganate had been broken by the Kievan Rus' in the 960s, the Byzantines had not been able to fully exploit the power vacuum and restore their dominion over the Crimea and other areas around the Black Sea. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. For other titles related to and uses of Khan, see that article Origin The title Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan Events and Trends Khazar kingdom is attacked and defeated by Kievan Rus ( 965) A power vacuum is an expression for a political situation that can occur when a Government has no identifiable central Authority. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey
In 1016, Byzantine armies, in conjunction with Mstislav of Chernigov, attacked the Crimea, much of which had fallen under the sway of the Khazar successor kingdom of George Tzoul, based at Kerch. The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces serving alongside the Byzantine navy. Mstislav of Chernigov, or Mstislav the Bold (Мстислав Владимирович Храбрый was the earliest attested ruler of Chernigov ( Chernihiv Georgius Tzul ( Georgeios or Georgios) was a Khazar warlord against whom the Byzantine Empire and Mstislav of Tmutarakan launched a Kerch (Керч Керчь Keriç Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ Ancient Greek: Pantikapaion) is a city (2001 pop 157000 on the Kerch Peninsula Kedrenos reports that George Tzoul was captured and the Khazar successor-state was destroyed. Georgios Kedrenos (fl 11th century also known as George Cedrenus, was a Byzantine historian Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on Subsequently the Byzantines occupied the southern Crimea.
Later years
Basil II returned in triumph to Constantinople, then promptly went east and attacked the Persians over control of Armenia, which had become a Byzantine tributary when its king died in 1000. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani More victories followed, and Armenia rejoined the Byzantine empire for the first time in two centuries. Basil created in those highlands a strongly fortified frontier, which, if his successors had been capable, should have proved an effective barrier against the invasions of the Seljuk Turks. The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in
In the meantime, other Byzantine forces restored much of Southern Italy, lost over the previous 150 years, to the empire's control. Geography Southern Italy forms the lower "boot" of the Italian peninsula containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and southern Lazio the toe (Calabria and the heel When Basil finally died on December 15, 1025, he was planning a military expedition to recover the island of Sicily. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy.
Basil was to be buried in the last sarcophagus available in the rotunda of Constantine I in the Church of the Holy Apostles. Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine However, he later asked his brother and successor Constantine VIII to be buried in the Church of St. Constantine VIII ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Η΄ Kōnstantinos VIII) (960&ndash November 15, 1028) was Byzantine emperor John the Theologian (i. e. the Evangelist), at the Hebdomon Palace complex, outside the walls of Constantinople. Location Bakırköy is a large densely populated Middle class Residential Suburb of İstanbul, Turkey on its The epitaph on the tomb celebrated Basils campaigns and victories. [1] During the pillage of 1204, Basil's grave was ravaged by the invading Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt.
During the reign of Smbat III, an Georgian great king lord, David I, who owned Taik (Ispir and Olti) had, during his battles against the Muslims, gained a large area which stretched all the way to Manazkert (Malashgert). David was a subject of Byzantium and when he died his entire territory was occupied by Basil II, who had resumed the policy of, bit by bit, annexing Armenia to his empire (year 1000). [3]
Assessment
Basil was a short, stocky man with ascetic tastes, who cared little for the pomp and ceremony of the imperial court, and typically held court dressed in military regalia. Still, he was a capable administrator, who unique among the soldier-emperors, left a full treasury upon his death.
He was worshipped by his army, as he spent most of his reign campaigning with them instead of sending orders from the distant palaces of Constantinople, as had most of his predecessors. He lived the life of a soldier to the point of eating the same daily rations as any other member of the army. He also took the children of deceased officers of his army under his protection, and offered them shelter, food and education. Many of them later became his soldiers and officers, and came to think of him as a father.
Besides being called the "Father of the Army", he was also popular with country farmers. This class produced most of his army's supplies and soldiers. To assure that this continued, Basil's laws protected small agrarian property and lowered their taxes. His reign was considered an era of relative prosperity for the class, despite the almost constant wars. On the other hand, Basil increased the taxes of the nobility and the church and looked to decrease their power and wealth. Though understandably unpopular with them, neither of them had the power to effectively oppose the army-supported Emperor.
Basil never married or had children that we know of. As a young man he was a womanizer, but when he became emperor, he chose to devote himself to the duties of state. Unfortunately, this meant that he was succeeded by his brother and his family, who proved to be ineffective rulers. Nevertheless, 50 years of prosperity and intellectual growth followed because the funds of state were full, the borders were not in danger from exterior intruders, and the empire remained the most powerful political entity of the Middle Ages. Also, under Basil II, the Byzantine Empire probably had a population of about 18 million people. By AD 1025, Basil II (with an annual revenue of 7,000,000 nomismata) was able to amass 14,400,000 nomismata (or 200,000 pounds of gold) for the imperial treasury due to his prudent management.
In literature
During the 20th century in Greece, interest in the prominent emperor led to a number of biographies and historical novels about him. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Arguably the most popular is Basil Bulgaroktonus (1964) by historical fiction writer Kostas Kyriazis (b. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. 1920). Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Written as a sequel to his previous work Theophano (1963), focusing on Basil's mother, it examines Basil's life from childhood till his death at an advanced age, through the eyes of three fictional narrators. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
The first one is Areti Skylitzi, a girl from a noble family whom John I brought to young Basil to be his friend and playmate. She becomes the confidant of his deepest thoughts, and later the only woman who truly loves him. Basil can never marry her, because he was traumatized by the murders of his father Romanos and step-father Nikephoros by their wife and his mother, Theophano. He associates marriage and trust with death and murder. Areti stays by his side, as his unofficial consort, till his death. She alone hears his private thoughts, often filled with self-doubt, sorrow, inner conflict, while dealing with hard decisions. For Areti, Basil is her life-long consort, needing to be comforted.
The second narrator is Nikolaos, one of Basil's generals. He has followed Basil's campaigns through his life, and witnessed his major battles and later his death. For him Basil was his leader, a lord to be respected and served, a "father" of his army.
The third narrator is a Bulgarian general of Samuel who spend most of his life serving his Tsar and fighting Basil. He tells their side of the battle of almost 40 years. For him Basil is the enemy, the slayer of his people, the man responsible for his own leader's death. Accurately describing the historical events and adding fictional to fill in the blanks, it has been considered the best introduction to Basil and his age for a casual reader. It has been continuously reprinted since 1964.
For his part, commentator Alexander Kiossev wrote in "Understanding the Balkans: "The hero of one nation might be the villain of its neighbour (. . . ) The Byzantine emperor Basil the Murderer (sic) of Bulgarians, a crucial figure in the Greek pantheon of heroes, is no less important as a subject of hatred for our [Bulgarian] national mythology "[2].
Bibliography
- (primary source) Michael Psellus, Chronographia
- The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, 1991
- John Julius Norwich, History of Byzantium
- Penelope Delta, The Age of the Bulgar-slayer (In Greek), 1911, ESTIA Publishing Co. This article is about the 11th-century Byzantine historian and philosopher The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (often abbreviated to ODB) is a three volume book by the Oxford University Press. John Julius Cooper 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO (born 15 September 1929) is an English historian travel writer and television personality Penelope Delta (Πηνελόπη Δέλτα (1874&ndash 27 April, 1941) was a Greek Author of books for older children
- Paul Stephenson, The Legend of Basil the Bulgar-Slayer, Cambridge (2003)
- Catherine Holmes, Basil II and the Governance of Empire (976-1025) Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-927968-3
References
External links
Media related to Basil II from the Wikimedia Commons. - A more detailed profile of the Emperor:http://www.roman-emperors.org/basilii.htm
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Basil II
Born: 958 Died: 15 December 1025 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Romanos II |
Byzantine Emperor 963 |
Succeeded by Nikephoros II |
| Preceded by John I |
Byzantine Emperor 976–1025 |
Succeeded by Constantine VIII |
The following is a list of emperors of the Byzantine Empire belonging to the Macedonian dynasty (also known as the Armenian Dynasty) of Armenian Romanos II or Romanus II ( Greek: Ρωμανός Β΄ Rōmanos II) (938&ndash 15 March 963) was a Byzantine emperor This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians Events By Place Asia Turkish Khan Sebük Tigin establishes his empire in modern day Afghanistan. John I Tzimiskes or Tzimisces, (Ιωάννης Α΄ Τζιμισκής Iōannēs I Tzimiskēs; Հովհաննես Ա Չմշկիկ Hovhannes Ayp Chmshgig This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians For the 976 telephone prefix see Premium-rate telephone number Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 10 — Constantine VIII ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Η΄ Kōnstantinos VIII) (960&ndash November 15, 1028) was Byzantine emperor
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