Leo VI the Wise | Byzantine History
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- As the second of the sixteen Macedonian emperors that ruled Byzantium, Leo inherited a state that was no longer fighting off existential threats and was on the road to recovery. Yet nothing was ever certain in Byzantium, and Leo's reign would not be without its fair share of troubles.
00:00 Intro
00:31 Early Life
04:24 Becoming Basileus
07:07 Bulgarian Blunders
08:52 Leo's Wives
16:07 Leo's Last Years
19:24 Outro
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Music used: (In Chronological Order)
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Crowd Hammer by Kevin MacLeod
Teller of the Tales by Kevin MacLeod
Drums of the Deep by Kevin MacLeod
Arid Foothills by Kevin MacLeod
Rites by Kevin MacLeod
The Pyre by Kevin MacLeod
Majestic Hills by Kevin MacLeod
What Does Anybody Know About Anything?
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byzantine byzantium rome roman empire leo macedonian constantinople
The fact Leo actually cared about the succession easily makes him one of the better emperors.
To me ck3 got really lazy with Byzantine succession. It should have a unique succession type not just primogeniture. I wish they had a system to reflect Byzantine succesion
What do you mean my succession plan can’t just be “whoever betrays my idiot son”
Well, his son being the reason why Macedonian Dynasty survived.
But having to hope that it fell into capable usurper who needed him to legitimize his reign is a long shot.
That and Leo dying too early while also having strings of bad luck with having a (living) son didn’t help meant that we won’t know what his succession plan would entail.
@@zal7782a simple but Solid plan
Yeah. It suprising how few People really care what will happen to other people after their death. Nowadays I know only two categories of people that seem to really care: Geneticists, and Space Colonization entusiasts (although Elon Musks approach isn't necessarily the wisest one) it really seems as if 90ish percent of modern people was living as if the world was to vanish with their death. And extremely few cares about the future more distant than their grandchildren
I do not however subscribe to it.
Under Augustus Leo the Wise
•the Byzantine reconquest of Southern Italy by Nikephoros Phocas the Elder was completed and culminated in the Sack of Benevento, which they held for 5 years until abandoning it in 895. For the first time since they arrived in Italy all the Southern Lombards and the rebellious Duchy of Naples were forced to Recognize Roman Suzerainty, minting coins in Leo’s name.
•And with the Paulicians destroyed by Basil, Leo led a resettlement of the no mans land between Byzantium and the Arab Emirates, settling the area with battle hardened Armenians and creating the Theme of Mesopotamia, resulting in the first Byzantine reconquest of former territory depopulated by the Muslims in Anatolia since Constantine V Isaurian, a hundred and twenty years prior.
•Even his war with Simeon started off great when he invaded Bulgaria unopposed after the Magyars he allied with defeated Simeon in battle. But then he pulled the one smooth brain move of his reign and let Simeon deceive him with favorable peace talks while Simeon allied with the Pechenegs, defeating the Magyars and then marching his army south to defeat the Byzantines, resulting in conceding land in Macedonia and northern Greece while paying a tribute to Bulgaria
Leo is known for being a good administrator but the empire also expanded under him despite losses in the Balkans, not because he was a good general or warrior but because he was a great Delegator with an eye for talent like Justinian.
( I use Augustus cause it’s his most used title alongside Autokrator and the one he presents himself with in his book and Gold Coins.
The correct term is Basileus. Constantinople is mostly Greekoid by this point in time.
@@justanotherrandomfilipino9018
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the holy, consubstantial, and worshipful Trinity, our one and only true God, Leo, peaceful autokrator in Christ, faithful, pious, ever revered Augustus.”
The opening to Leo’s Taktika
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the holy, consubstantial, and worshipful Trinity, our one and only true God, Leo, Peaceful Autokrator in Christ, faithful, pious, kindly, ever revered Augustus, Alexander, Basileus of the Romans.”
The full general’s pledge listed by Leo in the same Taktika.
“ Leo and Constantine, Augusti of the Romans” Gold Coin of Leo’s
How does speaking Greek make Basileus correct? If you were actually knowledgeable on the Empire you would know They used Augustus up to 1453 and that Basileus is one of multiple titles they used(Imperator/Autokrator, Augustus/Sebastos, Basileus and Despot), being the equivalent to Emperor not Augustus.
This very channel literally has a Gold coin of Byzantine Emperor Basil I as the thumbnail of his video on Basil and it says “Basil Augustus”
@@tylerellis9097 Your comment could not be more wrong, the title of Augustus was but a simple formality within an essentially Greco-Christian system of government inside and out.
You should educate yourself more on the subject before suggesting it, right?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_bureaucracy_and_aristocracy
@@user-ll9hb3sd8h
Ahhhh, here you are again with your misguided Propaganda. Why don’t you go fight the Turks who are trying to deny and steal your history in every Byzantine related comment section with citation spamming, and not me.
Nothing in that Wikipedia article addresses nor refutes what I said.
And I refuse to believe you’re trying to be intentionally dumb by pointing to the later use of Sebastos by the Komnenoi 200 years later which is completely unrelated to Leon VI the Wise’s use of Avgoustos exclusively for himself.
And you should get your head out of your nationalist propaganda butt before replying to me.
@@user-ll9hb3sd8h
The title of Augustus/ Augusta was an effective title that reinforced the legitimity and or the right to succesion. Leon VI titled AUGUSTA his only child Anna, he had with Tsaoutsina.
Anna maried Louis III l' aveugle, king of Italy and Emperor of the CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE,
(901-905).She was the Mother of Charles Constantin ,roi de Provence,and has numerous descendants in France and elsewere,among whose My Imperial Nullity.
You should educate more on the subject... right ?!
It whould have been enriching to play one of the numerous religious homelies and liturgic chants composed by Leon VI that were sung in Hagia Sophia ! (instead of merican stuff)
Vide: Cepren Averinćev. Poétika rannevizantijskoi Literatury.Moskwa 1977 p.328
This channel is amazing. I have rarely seen this period of Eastern Roman history covered. Continue with the good job!
Glad you enjoy it!
Check Thersites the historian. Hes has a whole playlist of Byzantine Emperors hes goes over in his presentations.
Just got this hidden gem of a channel on my recommended. Seems like you'll finally reach a big audience soon
you should do a video on Constantine V, Tzimiskes, and Nikephoros Phokas ii, a vid on Kourkouas would also be pretty cool.
Ver sacrum
tzimiskes is an epithet signifying " the short ( of stature) one, given to Ιωάννης Κούρκουας, the assassin of Nikephoros Phokas III and usurpator of the amorian throne. He also was assassined a few years later.Fortunately he did not kill the two princes the future Basileios II and his brother
Constantinos VIII, Theodora, the widow of Romanos II and of Nikephoros II Phokas ,
having succeeded in protecting them all through that dangerous period.
Great video!
Great channel. You deserve more views.
Please make a video on the Phokas family, specially Nicephorus campaigns against Sayf-al-Dawla, such a fascinating figure
Great video dude
Love the format of these videos
It’s strange that Leo was so obsessed with the succession, yet he stopped his own brother Alexandros (and heir apparent for so many years) from consummating his *own* marriage. All this strife with the Church as well? Doesn’t seem very “wise” to me!
@RavingCekr009
Alexandros was the half brother of Leon VI through his mother Eudokia Ingerina.The young Leon, having lost his father Michael III before he was born, was elevated by Basileios, he hated, well knowing not only that he was not his (Leons)father, and that he ( Basil) had assassinated his (Le ons) father Michael.
his title is better translated as "the Learned"
Do you think you could cover the English civil war?
Leo is just the Eastern Roman version of Henry VIII
At least Leo was able to continue the Macedonian dynasty for the next century-and-a-half through Constantine VII, whereas Henry VII's line would ultimately end in the following generation.
@@Serapeum I did not mean that comment as a negative for Leo, I just saw the comparison of them both needing a son and going through a number of wives before getting one. A son is always needed. Henry I is the greatest example of that.
And Leo was stuck with wife he didn’t want to marry at all, 2nd failed to have a son, and 3rd wife died too early. So aside from 1st one; rest were result of bad luck.
Excellent wonderful video but at Video time 0/34 the year 867 is shown for Leo birth but the narrator says 866 AD/Just pointing out ERROR IN TYPING
Hope to enjoy a video on each of 16 Macedonian Dynasty Emperors all videos linked together hopefully?
In fact a video on every Christian Byzantine Emperor beginning with Constantine I who began ONE CHURCH ONE EMPIRE GLORIOUS GOAL
To be Lasting Tribute to ONE CHURCH ONE EMPIRE as next year is Anniversary of 325 AD to 2025 AD Council of Nicaea
Do Michael viii palalialogos
I'm definitely considering it
👍
My 34th great grandfather
Seems leo knew who his real dad was
In your opinion, was he wise?
Well he reformed law, was highly educated in all the arts and theology, especially on the history of Rome and the Empire expanded both economically and Territorially under him.
So I would say yeah.
I would say so. He made some blunders early in his reign, but I think he always tried to do the best he could and definitely learned from his mistakes.
So who was Leo of tripoli did he was Greek that serving the emirate of Crete ?
👍 N°DCXIII 🦅
🦁 ☀️ 🐝 ⚡ 🦅 ⚡ 🐝 ☀️ 🦁
Emperor Justinian was an lllyrian/ Dardan/ Albanian, and the Byzantium was an Illyrian Empire!
Emperor Constantin was an lllyrian/ Albanian, and the Byzantium was an Illyrian Empire!
Komnenians Dinasty was Illyrian/ Albanian!
Alexander the Great was Illyrian/Albanian!
The history must be rewritten!
take ur pills bozo
I don’t think I like him that much. He seemed very selfish that he’ll break as many traditions and church laws as possible to get his son on the Throne that was technically a bastard and chances are he is a bastard himself. His brother Alexander he didn’t like was the only true born son in the line of succession most likely. I’m sure you are aware that Constantine grew up to face constant challenges in his life because of that. Militarily I’d consider his reign a failure but he wasn’t a warrior he was a palace prince. But had he not done all he did to ensure the survival of the Macedonian Dynasty we’d never have gotten the Greatest Byzantine Emperor Basil II so I suppose it all happened for a reason
I mean, if he didn't break those traditions and church rules to get a viable heir, then the Empire might have collapsed into civil war after the death of Alexander, who only reigned for a year after Leo.
I mean would you have rather let the Dynasty die out in 913? Basil II would’ve never had existed. No Constantine VII means no Romanus II & that means no Basil
myst...
Leωn VI was the son of Michael III and his beloved mistress Eudokia Ingerina ( a Vicking). Eudokia was pregnant in Jan 870 and Leon was born in September 870 , before her marriage with Basileios I.
Michael had forced Basileios he had made his co- emperor, to marry Eudokia, so that her eventual son could be legitime and could follow him ( Michael) on. the throne. And so was it.Basileios detested Leon, and Leon knew that he was the son of Michael.The firsth act of his reign was to recuperate the rests of his father and bury them in the Church of the Holy Apostles with all the Roman Emperors. Constantin, the son of Leon VI slamed Basileios I in one of his treaties, so he also knew that he was NOT the nephew of Basileios I
Had the establishment known that Leon was the illegitime ( bastard) son of Michael,Leon whould not have been accepted as his successor.
To day every dude knows that the Amorian dynasty was never interrupted by Basileios I. but continued to 1056, year of the death of emperess Theodora, the last fleuron of the AMORIAN dynasty ,so the "makedonian" dynasty must be called the AMORIAN dynasty.
@@ezzovonachalm9815It’s the Makedonian dynasty and always will be, keep coping.
The greatest East Roman Emperor Basil II has nothing to do with the " makedonian" dynasty.He was the son of Romanos Il, sohn of Konstantinos VIII, sohn of Leon VI, natural son of Michael III and his beloved mistress Eudokia Ingerina. A
" makedonian" dynasty does not exist. The assassin of Michael III and usurpator of the throne Basil I was not a Makedonian, even if he was born from an unknown father in the thema of Makedonia. He has not founded any dynasty. To found a dynasty three consecutive rulers of the same family are needed. Basileios I had one son ( Sebatios) from his wife Maria N. he made a co- emperor under the name of Konstantinos, who died 14 years old without an outcome.His second son Alexandros,he had from Eudokia Ingerina, the former mistress of Michael III and mother of Leon VI, acessed the throne after the death of his half brother Leon VI, but was unmarried, reigned one year and died without outcome.
The " makedonian" was a fake dynasty and had absolutely no blood link with Alexandros the Great.Basileios I was a lowest class armenian and was presumably born in B'lgaria as his family was deported at the time of ferocious kahn Krum, the dude who drank out of the skull of emperor Nikephoros I, slaughtered during a battle against the fastidious b'lgarian invasors ! The merit of Basileios I was his successful series of campains agaist the arab invasors, initiating the byzantine
"reconquista" of all the territories lost achieved by Basileios II bulgarochtonos The Great ( in my opinion)
There was NO makedonian dynasty at all.
To found a dynasty the rule needs three regnants of the same family in immediate succesion : grand father, father and son.
Basileios' father was not a dynast but a commoner of armenian provenience. Basil and his brother Bardas were not born in Makedonia.
Basil was an illiterate wrestler as he was caught up by Michael III.
Basileios I and his wife Maria had a son named Σηβατιος who was made co-emperor under the glorious name οf Constantin , but died 879 as he was 13 years of age. After the birth of Leo VI the son of Michael III and his mistress Eudokia Ingerina ,Michael forced Basileios to marry Eudokia. This marriage produced Alexandros, the sole living son of Basileios I. Alexandros died without without male issue. His death canceled the last possibility to found a "makedonian" dynasty.
The Amorid or Amorian dynasty ( from Amorion, the anatolic castrum of the Empire) wherefrom came :
1.Michael II, the first amoride emperor.
2.Theophilos, married with Theodora Mamikonian had a son 3. Konstantinos who was made co-emperor at his birth but died 2 years old .
4.Michael III ,the brother of Konstantinos fathered
5.Leon VI and Stephanos, the later patriarch of Constantinople who replaced Photios who made difficulties to the family because of the fourth mariage of Leon VI with Zoe Karbonopsina, judged a form of " fornication" by the church.The mariage had to be celebrated by another prelate and was not accepted by patriarch Photios ( which implies, that their son Konstantinos VlI would have been considered a bastard) .
6.Konstantinos VII porphyrogennetos ,son of of Leon VI and Zoe Karbonopsina was soon parasited by Romanos Lakapenos, the βασιλεοπατωρ and his four sons until his death. Konstantinos VII had been forced to marry Helene, the daughter of Romanos Lakapenos, She gave birth to
8.Romanos II, married with Theophano or Theodora , fathered two sons:
9.Basileios II o bulgaroktonos, without issue and
10.Konstantinos VIII co- emperor with his brother, who fathered three daughters : the first , Eudokia ,was defigured by chickenpox and ended in a convent
11.Zoe who after her menopause married four succesive byzantine Emperors without issues and
11.Theodora, the virgin , last fleuron of the Amorian dynasty who died 1056 on the throne , loved and considered by the people and the historians......
*Amorian
The myth of Basil I having been an "Αrnenian" was spread by his supporters (especially popularised by Photius when he wanted to get in his good graces) and stipulated that Basil I was a lost-and-found descendant of the.... Arsacid Armenian dynasty. The problem with this is of course that the Arsacid dynasty had been defunct some 3 centuries earlier with no known descendants. Essentially it was just a fake story to give Basil I some credentials in the Constantinopolitan oligarchies. Since he could not easily convince anyone usurping the family name of a known aristocratic family, he (or mostly his fans) opted to use the name of a far-flung long-defunct Armenian dynasty which possibly had no descendants left (as per our knowledge) or if any, they were long-lost. It was kind of the same as people in ancient Greece arbitrarily tracing themselves to Hercules. Medieval Greeks often did such, e.g. tracing themselves to Respublican Era Roman senatorial families when absolutely no trace of that existed (again opting non-Greek families since the Greek ones were known and were well-traced back then, thus one could not easily lie about them). Overall, Basil I did not speak Armenian, he did not seem to have the slightest connection to Armenia but the urban legend of his Armenian royal ancestry was useful on the one hand giving him aristocratic legitimacy and on the other maybe making popular among Armenians at a time the Empire would love to integrate Armenia - something which eventually was done by his descendant Basil II.
Basil I was at best half-Armenian
@@Michael_the_Drunkard Well, there is no element to support that. The only thing we have is from a reference of Patriarch Photius (if I am not mistaken, it was him), who wanted to get in the good graces with him, hence he repeated Basil's supporters made-up story of Basil as-if not being a poor peasant from Thrace but rather a lost descendant of the.... Arsacid dynasty, one which was defunct and its last known member died some 3 centuries before Basil I was born, LOL!