Search results
- 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.
www.hellenicaworld.com › Byzantium › Person
Sep 6, 2024 · Basil II was a Byzantine emperor (976–1025), who extended imperial rule in the Balkans (notably Bulgaria), Mesopotamia, Georgia, and Armenia and increased his domestic authority by attacking the powerful landed interests of the military aristocracy and of the church. The reign of Basil II, widely.
People also ask
How did Basil II impact the Byzantine Empire?
Who was Basil II?
Was Basil II a good emperor?
When did Basil II conquer the Byzantine Empire?
At the start of his reign, the failures of his immediate predecessors left Basil II with a serious problem: Bardas Skleros and Bardas Phokas, members of the wealthy military elite of Anatolia, had sufficient means to undertake open rebellion against his authority.
- Early Life
- Domestic Policies
- Military Campaigns
- Death
- Legacy
Basil, born in 958 CE, was the son of Emperor Romanos II of the Macedonian Dynasty, and when his father died, Basil, aged just five, and his younger brother Constantine jointly inherited the throne. The Empress Theophano, wife of Romanos, acted as their regent and married the general Nikephoros Phokas, who became Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas. It wa...
Basil's immediate problem on gaining the throne was to quash a rebellion led by the aristocrat Bardas Skleros, a general who was keen to continue in the privileged position he had enjoyed under previous emperors. Basil prevailed, despite some initial defeats to Skleros in Asia Minor, and was greatly helped by his namesake chief administrator, the g...
Basil's first and worst military expedition was in August 986 CE when he suffered a resounding loss to the forces of Samuel of Bulgaria (r. 976-1014 CE) in a narrow Bulgarian mountain pass known as Trajan's Gate. The emperor's army of 60,000 had already suffered an ignominious episode in their failed siege of the Bulgar capital Serdica (Sofia) but ...
Basil kept on campaigning to the end, with more successful adventures in Georgian Iberia and Armenia in 1021-22 CE, where he captured Vaspurkan. His territories stretched even into Mesopotamia and were consolidated by dividing the conquered regions into new provinces of the empire. Italy, too, was reorganised, and a campaign was prepared to once mo...
Basil's near-50-year reign had ensured the Byzantine Empire was at its very zenith, as the historian E. R. A. Sewter here explains in his introduction to his translation of the emperor's biography by Psellus: With Basil having no children, the title of emperor resorted back to his brother Constantine, who ruled as Constantine VIII from 1025 to 1028...
- Mark Cartwright
Searches related to Why did Basil II have a short reign?
Feb 6, 2024 · Basil II’s reign marked a turning point in Byzantine history. His military successes expanded the empire’s borders, securing its frontiers and ensuring its survival for centuries to come. His administrative reforms set the stage for a more centralized and efficient Byzantine state.
Abstract: The reign of Basil II (976-1025) is widely accepted as the apogee of medieval Byzantium. During the century before Basil came to the throne, the Byzantine empire had made substantial territorial gains on its eastern borders at the expense of the Abbasid caliphate of Baghdad.
Basil II faced several challenges during his early reign, including rebellions by powerful generals and a war with Bulgaria. He managed to suppress the rebellions and defeat the Bulgarians, but not without suffering a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Trajan’s Gate in 986 CE.
May 18, 2018 · The Byzantine emperor Basil II (ca. 958-1025) ruled from 963 to 1025 and was called Bulgaroctonus (Bulgar-Slayer). He was the last and greatest of the emperors who brought Byzantium to its military zenith.
