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Basil I "the Macedonian"
(Βασίλειος Αʹ ὁ Μακεδών) |
867 –
2 August 886 |
Born in the Theme of Macedonia
ca. 811, he rose in prominence through palace service, becoming a
favourite of Michael III. He overthrew Michael and established the
Macedonian dynasty. He led successful wars in the East against the Arabs
and the Paulicians, and recovered southern Italy for the Empire.
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Leo VI "the Wise"
(Λέων ΣΤʹ ὁ Σοφός) |
886 –
11 May 912 |
Born on 19 September 866, either the legitimate son of Basil I or
the illegitimate son of Michael III, Leo was known for his erudition.
His reign saw a height in Saracen (Muslim) naval raids, culminating in the Sack of Thessalonica, and was marked by unsuccessful wars against the Bulgarians under Simeon I.
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Alexander
(Ἀλέξανδρος) |
11 May 912 –
6 June 913 |
Son of Basil I, Alexander was born in 870 and raised to
co-emperor in 879. Sidelined by Leo VI, Alexander dismissed his
brother's principal aides on his accession. He died of exhaustion after a
polo game.
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Constantine VII "the Purple-born"
(Κωνσταντῖνος Ζʹ ὁ Πορφυρογέννητος) |
6 June 913 –
9 November 959 |
The son of Leo VI, he was born on 17/18 May 905 and
raised to co-emperor on 15 May 908. His early reign was dominated by
successive regencies, first by his mother, Zoe Karbonopsina, and Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos,
and from 919 by the admiral Romanos Lekapenos, who wedded his daughter
to Constantine and was crowned senior emperor in 920. Constantine was
sidelined during the Lekapenos regime, but asserted his control by
deposing Romanos's sons in early 945. His reign was marked by struggles
with Sayf al-Dawla
in the East and an unsuccessful campaign against Crete, and
pro-aristocratic policies that saw a partial reversal of Lekapenos'
legislation against the dynatoi. He is notable for his promotion of the "Macedonian Renaissance",
sponsoring encyclopaedic works and histories. He was a prolific writer
himself, best remembered for the manuals on statecraft (De administrando imperio) and ceremonies (De ceremoniis) he compiled for his son, Romanos II.[13]
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Romanos I Lekapenos
(Ῥωμανὸς Αʹ Λεκαπηνός) |
17 December 920 –
16 December 944 |
An admiral of lowly origin, Romanos rose to power as a protector of the young Constantine VII against the general Leo Phokas the Elder.
After becoming the emperor's father-in-law, he successively assumed
higher offices until he crowned himself senior emperor. His reign was
marked by the end of warfare with Bulgaria and the great conquests of John Kourkouas in the East. Romanos promoted his sons Christopher, Stephen and Constantine
as co-emperors over Constantine VII, but was himself overthrown by the
latter two and confined to an island as a monk. He died there on 15 June
948.
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Romanos II "the Purple-born"
(Ῥωμανὸς Βʹ ὁ Πορφυρογέννητος) |
9 November 959 –
15 March 963 |
The only surviving son of Constantine VII, he was born
on 15 March 938 and succeeded his father on the latter's death. He ruled
until his own death, although the government was led mostly by the
eunuch Joseph Bringas. His reign was marked by successful warfare in the East against Sayf al-Dawla and the recovery of Crete by general Nikephoros Phokas.
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Nikephoros II Phokas
(Νικηφόρος Βʹ Φωκᾶς) |
16 August 963 –
11 December 969 |
The most successful general of his generation, Nikephoros II was born ca. 912 to the powerful Phokas
clan. After the death of Romanos II, he rose to the throne with the
support of the army and people as regent for the young emperors Basil II
and Constantine VIII, marrying the empress-dowager Theophano.
Throughout his reign he led campaigns in the East, conquering much of
Syria. He was murdered by his nephew and one-time associate John
Tzimiskes.
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John I Tzimiskes
(Ἰωάννης Αʹ Κουρκούας ὁ Τσιμισκὴς) |
11 December 969 –
10 January 976 |
Nephew of Nikephoros Phokas, Tzimiskes was born ca.
925. A successful general, he fell out with his uncle and led a
conspiracy of disgruntled generals who murdered him. Tzimiskes succeeded
Nikephoros as emperor and regent for the young sons of Romanos II. As
ruler, Tzimiskes crushed the Rus' in Bulgaria and ended the Bulgarian tsardom before going on to campaign in the East, where he died.
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Basil II "the Bulgar-Slayer"
(Βασίλειος Βʹ ὁ Βουλγαροκτόνος) |
10 January 976 –
15 December 1025 |
Eldest son of Romanos II, Basil was born in 958. The first decade of his reign was marked by rivalry with the powerful Basil Lekapenos,
an unsuccessful war against Bulgaria, and rebellions by generals in
Asia Minor. Basil solidified his position through a marriage alliance
with Vladimir I of Kiev, and after suppressing the revolts, he embarked on his conquest of Bulgaria. Bulgaria was finally subdued in 1018 after over 20 years of war, interrupted only by sporadic warfare in Syria against the Fatimids.
Basil also expanded Byzantine control over most of Armenia. His reign
is widely considered as the apogee of medieval Byzantium.
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Constantine VIII "the Purple-born"
(Κωνσταντῖνος Ηʹ ὁ Πορφυρογέννητος) |
15 December 1025 –
15 November 1028 |
The second son of Romanos II, Constantine was born in
960 and raised to co-emperor in March 962. During the rule of Basil II,
he spent his time in idle pleasure. During his short reign he was an
indifferent ruler, easily influenced by his courtiers and suspicious of
plots to depose him, especially among the military aristocracy, many of
whom were blinded and exiled. On his deathbed, he chose Romanos Argyros as husband for his daughter Zoe.[14]
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Zoe "the Purple-born"
(Ζωὴ ἡ Πορφυρογέννητος) |
15 November 1028 –
June 1050 |
The daughter of Constantine VIII, she succeeded on her
father's death, as the only surviving member of the Macedonian dynasty,
along with her sister Theodora. Her three husbands, Romanos III
(1028–1034), Michael IV (1034–1041) and Constantine IX (1042–1050) ruled
alongside her.
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Romanos III Argyros
(Ῥωμανὸς Γʹ Ἀργυρός) |
15 November 1028 –
11 April 1034 |
Born in 968, the elderly aristocrat Romanos was chosen
by Constantine VIII on his deathbed as Zoe's husband and succeeded on
the throne after Constantine's death a few days later.
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Michael IV "the Paphlagonian"
(Μιχαὴλ Δʹ ὁ Παφλαγών) |
11 April 1034 –
10 December 1041 |
Born in 1010, he became a lover of Zoe even while
Romanos III was alive, and succeeded him upon his death as her husband
and emperor. Aided by his older brother, the eunuch John the Orphanotrophos, his reign was moderately successful against internal rebellions, but his attempt to recover Sicily failed. He died after a long illness.
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Michael V "the Caulker"
(Μιχαὴλ Εʹ ὁ Καλαφάτης) |
10 December 1041 –
20 April 1042 |
Born in 1015, he was the nephew and adopted son of
Michael IV. During his reign he tried to sideline Zoe, but a popular
revolt forced him to restore her as empress on 19 April 1042, along with
her sister Theodora. He was deposed the next day, castrated and tonsured, dying on 24 August 1042.
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Theodora "the Purple-born"
(Θεοδώρα ἡ Πορφυρογέννητος) |
19 April 1042 –
after 31 August 1056 |
The younger sister of Zoe, born in 984, she was raised
as co-ruler on 19 April 1042. After Zoe married her third husband,
Constantine IX, in June 1042, Theodora was again sidelined. After Zoe
died in 1050 and Constantine in 1055, Theodora assumed full governance
of the Empire and reigned until her death. She nominated Michael VI as her successor.
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Constantine IX Monomachos
(Κωνσταντῖνος Θʹ Μονομάχος) |
11 June 1042 –
7/8 or 11 January 1055 |
Born ca. 1000 of noble origin, he had an undistinguished life but was exiled to Lesbos
by Michael IV, returning when he was chosen as Zoe's third husband.
Constantine supported the mercantile classes and favoured the company of
intellectuals, thereby alienating the military aristocracy. A
pleasure-loving ruler, he lived an extravagant life with his favourite
mistresses and endowed a number of monasteries, chiefly the Nea Moni of Chios and the Mangana Monastery. His reign was marked by invasions by the Pechenegs in the Balkans and the Seljuk Turks in the East, the revolts of George Maniakes and Leo Tornikios, and the Great Schism between the patriarchates of Rome and Constantinople.[15]
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Non-dynastic (1056–1057)
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