Byzantine Emperor (958 – 1025)
Emperor of the Byzantine Empire whose reign spanned 49 years; during this time, the Byzantine Empire achieved considerable expansion, economic growth and safety from the neighbouring tribes thanks to Basil’s administrative policies and constant battles.
He ascended to throne at the age of 2 and government was undertaken by two capable warlords Nicephorus Phocas and John Tzimiskes, who served as Byzantine Emperors until Basil reached the age of 20 and undertook government duties himself. His first actions were to wage war against the Bulgarians, which had become a problem to the Empire. His campaign against them was unsuccessful and Basil only managed to save himself in Philippopolis. He then focused on fending off the rest of the enemies of the Byzantine Empire and was not involved with the Bulgarians for 15 years. During this time, Basil fortified the interior of the Byzantine Empire, provided more army to certain regions, conquered Iberia, Armenia and Syria and fought victoriously against the Arabs.
Basil’s reign was characterized by constant wars. These wars were aimed at defending the empire from continuous external threats as well as expanding itself to contain rich lands and enforce its economy, which was a prerequisite to sustain Basil’s costly polemic politics. When the time had come, he turned against the Bulgarian Empire for the second time. With the help of his appointed chief Nicephorus Uranus, Basil spent nearly all of the rest of his life battling against the Bulgarians and their king, Tsar Samuel. He managed to stop their procession to Peloponnesus and reclaim the lost lands of Northern Greece while in the meantime Nicephorus Uranos battled against the Arabs, claimed Antioch and signed a treaty for peace.
The 50 year-old conflict between the Byzantines and the Bulgarians reached its climax in 1014 during the battle of Clidium. It ended with the victory of the Byzantine Empire and the defeat of the Bulgarians. From that point onward, the Bulgarians surrendered to the Byzantine Empire and did not proceed to any significant conflict for 900 years. During his final years as Emperor, Basil became more lenient toward the Bulgarians; he provided them with political and religious autonomy and accepted several Bulgarians in the Byzantine aristocracy. Furthermore, the Empire now had access to all lands below Danube.
Emperor Basil’s tactics involving gruesome bloodshed and tortures made him fearsome among his enemies, which earned him the nickname “Bulgar-Slayer”. Nevertheless, he was a skilled and diplomatic emperor. His decision to marry his sister Anne with the Russian Tsar Vladimir, as well as the baptism of the tsar and his conversion to Christianity led to the spread of Christianity in all of Russia and the establishment of peaceful affairs between the two states. At the time of his death, the Byzantine Empire stretched from eastern Sicily and Italy to Armenia and modern Azerbaijan. In contained all of Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, modern Albania, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Cyprus, Odessa and regions from Lebanon and Syria. The Byzantine Empire was closing on its decline.
Bibliography
- “Basileios B’”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens: 1946. Print.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. ”Basil II| Byzantine Emperor” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Web. 17 July. 2016.