@@ilduce4298 what? Bulgars were the only ones who beat Basil II. August 986 when Basil walked Putin-style across Bulgaria, attacking Sofia, thinking Bulgarians are weak. He almost died. Krakra of Pernik also beat Basil personally
...so as the charge of Bardas PHOKAS on Basileios II with the intent of killing him in a single to single combat.As Phokas saw the Icon of the Holy mother in the hand of Basileios he was fulgured (by a cardiac arrest) and fell from his horse to the feet of the Emperor ,dead !
A movie was made in Italy during the 1960's called The Last Roman starring Orson Welles and Honour Blackman centered around the reign of the Emperor Justinian. I saw it in the cinema years ago. They played around with the facts a little bit, which is what movie makers usually do but from memory, because I haven't seen the movie in years it wasn't bad. There were a lot of battle scenes especially against the Goths.
He's an interesting figure in that he had horrible luck early in his military campaigns. But he learned! He was not charismatic like Caesar or Alexander but used the brilliancy of being emperor be his charm. In a way Basil is also a sad lonely figure that was married to the empire. As you stated his will and focus was his best weapon in rising to the occasion. Well done!
Most people think we're weird, we/I love history, most people think that is the strongest thing that they've ever seen or heard of. Wanting to be alone to read study or God forbid....just to be alone, totally at peace for a few precious hrs per week. I was really into wildlife shows in my early teens, all my friends would look at me like I was from Mars when they would drop by, unannounced, I grew weed, brewed beer in the 70's, I'd be watching David Attenbrough on PBS
I have had more of a struggle to not hound you at every opportunity about this one video series than anything else I have ever really been anticipating. You really delivered on this and look forward to the next few videos attached to it. It's good to see you making distinctions between him and his brother because I think popular myth to readily paints them as one, so he is some superman figure, not giving Constantine VIII his credit. Awesome work I know personally the source list on this is dense and had to have taken you a good long while to get through.
Κονσταντίνος just sucked when he was forced to rule in his own right due to an extended period of decadence and little responsibility (other than producing an heir, which he probably was more than happy to do), so everyone assumes he was bad for his entire life
Honestly never knew he was such a capable ruler. We always view him as the villain in the heroic strugle between him and Samuel. Now I'm really excited to see things from the Byzantine side at the Battle of Kleidion
Basil seems to have had the edge if Phocas was trying to call him out for a duel, but still, having the enemy leader drop dead and demoralize his men before the two lines meet is just about the best way imaginable to turn a likely victory into a certain victory.
When I think of my own life, I see a multitude of fortunate events, coincidences, *"Luck,"* that, had they not have occurred....I'd surely be dead. I'm 56yrs this month, living in paradise, I am very fortunate, I am truly grateful to be alive and see all my family healthy and happy. Life is Good.
@@aleksk4151 Little boy😂. All barbarians are jealous of the Romans and Romaioi Hellenes and their cultural legacy. The display of a skull cup shows the culture of Bulgaria i.e barbarian. This doesn't mean I am denying you Bulgars won battles against the Roman Empire. You did and fought bravely for the Bulgarians. Civil wars in Constantinople and Arab threats always meant less focus on the Balkans. Basil is the Bulgar Slayer and Kaloyan is the Roman slayer but none of them could save Eastern Europe from the Turks.
@@MalteseWonderdog1429 I'm always gonna defend Bulgaria. Negative comments for Bulgaria cannot be left undealt with, so I came to deal with them and put them in right place. Any dirt thrown in her address has to be cleared, cause Bulgaria is a pure country. My propaganda campaign is going bad cause it doesn't exist, my truth-spreading campaign is going well cause more people learn, respect and start admiring Bulgarian history, culture and nature. . Type battle of Pliska, battle of Versinikia, Constantinople and read comments
our first empire ended because we got promised an amazing treatment, riches, high social status, low taxes, good life if we simply give up resisting. Basil won by diplomacy in that sense.
Bournoutian, George (2002). A Concise History of the Armenian People. Mazda Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9781568591414. ....the later Macedonian dynasty, according to most Byzantinists, was of Armenian origin as well. [...] Ironically, it was this same Armenian dynasty which was chiefly responsible for the breakup of the Bagratuni kingdom. The important Macedonian dynasty was founded by Basil I (867-86), an Armenian. Chahin, Mack. The Kingdom of Armenia: A History. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001, p. 232 ISBN 0-7007-1452-9 The reasons for this stunning reversal of fortune are still disputed, though some credit is surely due to the much-maligned but effective rulers of the Isaurian dynasty , Leo III (r. 717-41) and Constantine V (r. 741-75), who stabilized the empire’s borders after the catastrophic losses of the seventh century. 7 Since the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, Basil I (r. 867-86), was a Thracian peasant of Armenian origin, the term “Macedonian dynasty” is something of a misnomer, but it is used so ubiquitously in secondary scholarship and in the sources themselves as well that is pointless to attempt to replace it with something else. Chitwood, Zachary (2017). Byzantine Legal Culture and the Roman Legal Tradition, 867-1056. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9781107182561. Alexander Vasiliev argues that "The majority of scholars consider Basil an Armenian who had settled in Macedonia, and speak of his dynasty as the Armenian dynasty. But in view of the fact that there were many Armenians and Slavs among the population of Macedonia, it might be correct to assume that Basil was of mixed Armeno-Slavonic origin." Vasiliev, Alexander (1964). History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453, Volume 1. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 301. ISBN 9780299809256. His father is widely considered to be of Armenian origin. Whittow, Mark (1996). The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025. University of California Press. p. 201. ISBN 9780520204966. Four emperors - Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I and John Tzimiskes - seem to have been Armenian, as well as the empress Theodora, Theophilos' wife...” Rosser, John Hutchins (2012). "Armenia". Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. Scarecrow Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780810875678. ...a number of important military leaders and civil administrators were Armenian, including emperors Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I Lekapenos, and John I Tzimiskes.” Treadgold 1997, p. 455: "Though of Armenian stock, Basil was called the Macedonian because he had been born in the Theme of Macedonia...." Evans, Helen C. (2018). "Armenians and Their Middle Age". Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 34. ISBN 9781588396600. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (r. 610-640) was the son of an Armenian... [...] In 867 Basil I (r. 867-886), whose father was also Armenian...” That Basil I, the founder of the most brilliant dynasty of the Byzantine empire, was indeed Armenian and Armenian on both sides, can be regarded as an established fact." Charanis 1963, p. 35. The Macedonian dynasty ( 867 - 1056 ) marked the apogee of the medieval Byzantine Empire . Its founder, Basil, a peasant born in Macedonia but of Armenian descent "Macedonian Dynasty." Oxford Reference. starting with the Vita Basilii, let us work through those sources advertising an Armenian ancestry for Basil I in chronological order. indication that Basil was of Armenian descent and that he came originally from Macedonia; in other words, he was a Balkan Armenian. Greenwood, T. (2018). Basil I, Constantine VII and Armenian Literary Tradition in Byzantium. In T. Shawcross & I. Toth (Eds.), Reading in the Byzantine Empire and Beyond (pp. 447-466). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108289993.023 The Byzantine emperor Basil I (ca. 812-886), also known as Basil the Macedonian, ruled from 867 to 886. Despite his unsavory rise to power, he was a gifted statesman who gave the empire new vigor and began its most durable dynasty. Of obscure Armenian parentage, Basil was born in Thrace. The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (1923). See also George Ostrogorsky, History of the Byzantine State (1940; trans. 1956; rev. ed. 1969); The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (2d ed. 1966), pt. 1, edited by J. M. Hussey; and Romilly Jenkins, Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, A.D. 610-1071 (1966). BASIL I. (d. 886), known as the "Macedonian", Roman emperor in the East, was born of a family of Armenian (not Slavonic) descent, settled in Macedonia. Vita Basilii, by his grandson Constantine VII. (bk. v. of the Continuation of Theophanes, ed. Bonn); Genesius (ed. Bonn); Vita Euthymii, ed. De Boor (Berlin, 1888). Of the Arabic sources Tabari is the most important. MODERN WoRKs. - Finlay, History of Greece, vol. ii. (Oxford, 1877); Gibbon, Decline and Fall, vols. v. and vi. (ed. Bury, London, 1898); Hergenrother, Photius, Patriarch von Constantinopel, vol. ii. (Regensburg, 1867). (J. B. B.) Although he was technically of Armenian descent, Basil acquired the moniker “the Macedonian” because Armenia was in the theme of Macedonia at the time of Basil's birth around the year 811. peasants who were forcibly brought to Bulgaria in 813 under the Bulgar Kahn Krum. Eldridge, Kelsey, "Byzantine Emperors and Old Testament Kings: Contextualizing the Paris Psalter as a Product of Ninth and Tenth Century Byzantine Imperial Ideology" (2011). Summer Research. Paper 131.
Basil2nd the Great, one of the greatest Emperors since Augustus and Continue 1st.The life of Basil 2nd the Great was perhaps the High watermark of the Empire, he ranks with Augustus and Constine 1st the Great and his death was a turning point in the History of the Empire and of Earth's History, when he died he was planning a military champion in Italy that was set for the spring of 1026, had that happened the history of Italy would have been changed forever !. his dearth is Generally seen as the point, where the Empire began its slow long decline that at times was stopped, turned around, slowed, but then would go on!.---his death is thus a good example of the very passing of one person changing the very course of History !.
He is the greatest Eastern Roman Emperor (period), and only Augustus really exceeds him. That being said, I don't think Basil could've really pulled off a Sicilian campaign, as he was likely passed his prime by that point
@@ΡωμανόςΔ́Διογένης-θ6δ No the reconquest of Italy was fool hardy and overstretched the empire. It also wasted resources and devastated Italy. He had to also pay the Persians to be allowed to focus on Italy which again drained the treasury. A complete waste of all the money saved by Anastasius. Leaving the Ostrogoths in Italy would have been okay and they could have done politics to replace the king with a pro Roman one and fomented an internal rebellion later rather than external reconquest.
you do know that is our title right? it was Simeon the Great ho made it and ofc was the first to use it.(so in short its our original title :D made by the strongest bulgarian ruler ever. www.google.bg/search?q=tzar+simeon+the+great&source=lmns&bih=647&biw=1253&hl=bg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6jeWCkPjqAhUO-hoKHainAgAQ_AUoAHoECAEQAA.
@@strahinjastevic7480 It's because people are very familiar with the title czar or tsar used for the Russian monarchs especially for such greats as Peter,Alexander and Nicholas II the tragic last czar but are almost totally not familiar with Bulgarian history which after all is a very minor country in the scheme of things!
Stupid question: Did the Byzantines during the Medieval period view their emperors as holy figures ordained by God or were they just military dictators? I know Diocletian and Constantine presented themselves as "holy" but I was curious if this lasted through the Byzantine age?
They were expected to defend Orthodox Christianity and had significant influence on the Church, but there was formal separation between the offices of church and state (not between church and state itself, though), even though the Basileus had a large amount of control over appointments and stuff like that. But the Basileus was not a "holy figure" himself though (most of the time), but simply a defender of the faith
This is actually a great question. It's probably the reason why no other emperors besides Constantine were proclaimed as saints by the church, among other things. Throughout most of Byzantine history, the emperor was officially considered to be the image of Christ himself here on earth, so he is not only ordained by God, but is basically the only person with an immediate connection to Him, and is therefore considered to be even beyond sainthood, in a sense. So everything the emperor is doing should (ideally) be derived from this special identity bestowed on him from above, so his duties naturally include things like defending the faith, protecting his Empire, maintaining order etc. There's a great paper that explores this dynamic, called "Living icon of Christ", by Vlada Stankovic, you can find it on Academia. It talks about how briefly in the 9th century the patriarch Photios tried to reverse this order and placed himself above the emperor in the hierarchy, so it makes for a great case study of their relationship, and by contrast shows how the emperor was generally viewed by the Byzantines.
The previous answers pretty much sum it up. I would only add that the emperors born in the purple seem to have been more comfortable trying to exert their influence on the direction of church affairs, which may suggest that there was some implicit idea that more legitimate emperors may have seen themselves as somewhat divinely ordained.
@@Lundalf Some of the Byzantine empresses were declared saints -e,g. Pulcheria,a very pious woman,who was empress in her own right for a while -she was a member of the Theodosian dynasty.
@@tacocruiser4238 Except Justinian was not Πορφυρογεννιτός (born in the purple), as he was born outside the imperial palace in rural Thrace. His lack of perceived legitimacy actually was a major theme of his reign, as he never was able to receive the true trust of the nobility
Not the Bulgar Slayer. This is a later name for him when nationalism was on the rise. His true name should be the Baptiser of Russia. This is the man who used the Varangian Guard to great effect.
@@XcT27 Bulgars in that sense were a Turkic tribe and not the Slavic relatives of the Rus. My point is that Basil is not anti-Slavic, but drew on the strength on the Slavs.
@@ΡωμανόςΔ́Διογένης-θ6δ bro i say the truth he personally got his ass kicked by Bulgarians 4 times. Re-read history again if you doubt. The fact you say i am dreaming says you only read propaganda. I comment so people know the whole story and don't believe by blindness at the look of his desperado nickname "bulgar-slayer" when in fact he almost died in 1 battle against the Bulgars. Bulgarians also have a King Slayer called Kaloyanis, but don't show off with him unlike the Byzantine fanboys
@@ΡωμανόςΔ́Διογένης-θ6δ in your dreams. He didn't crush us, he won few battles because our army was sleeping in two battles and Byzantines attacked us while we sleep, he won by seducing Bulgarians with rich gifts, money, high social status, royal treatment that's why we submitted to him. He created themata called Bulgaria and Byzantines treated us like kings during the occupation :) so crushed is only your butthurt furtive efforts to gain a drop of superiority over us. Forget it. Bulgarians even liberate later and create Second empire .
28:45 Fun fact: After the unification of various Georgian polities into the kingdom of Georgia early in the 11th century, the names "Kartli" and "Kartveli" became a basis of the Georgian self designation Sakartvelo.
Basil 2 Vasili 2 Bulgarian Slayer one of best Est Roman Emperator.Teue .I,m Bulgarian but respekt for brave man. my country brave finght 30-40year vs Basil2 .Epic battles in Bulgarian empire vs Est Roman Empite Bizantyne 7 century warrs . Bulgaria 🇧🇬 cheers 🍻 Greece 🇬🇷
What state are you from? I'm picking up the slightest of accents, If I had to guess it's a "northern" southern state, because it is faint but your "o" sound is giving you away in words like "approach", for some reason I want to say Maryland.
@@BloodRider1914 I have been watching for a couple months now but I just picked up the accent. For some reason I wouldn't have thought he was from the south. I was surprised got my biases checked haha.
a Basil got lucky the first time he picked a fight with Samuel 986 ua-cam.com/video/sS8Le6qiah0/v-deo.html . Basil and Samuel had the longest war ever in our bulgarian history :D for (28 or 43) years long ass war at least from 971 when Samuel gets in power to his end 1014.
This nick nickname doesn't do justice to a great emperor like Basil II. He was definitely not a fearsome polemarch like his predecessors Phocas and Tzimiskes who had organized for him a formidable army. He just delivered the final blow to Bulgarians but he was not a "Bulgar slayer". He was also a great politician and maybe the greatest economist since Justinian. I think Nicephoros Phocas should be called the "Saracene slayer" or the "Arab slayer". He managed to exterminate many thousands of Arabs during his service as Domestikos ton Scholon tis Anatolis (chief of staff) and emperor.
@@MalteseWonderdog1429 Bournoutian, George (2002). A Concise History of the Armenian People. Mazda Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9781568591414. ....the later Macedonian dynasty, according to most Byzantinists, was of Armenian origin as well. [...] Ironically, it was this same Armenian dynasty which was chiefly responsible for the breakup of the Bagratuni kingdom. The important Macedonian dynasty was founded by Basil I (867-86), an Armenian. Chahin, Mack. The Kingdom of Armenia: A History. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001, p. 232 ISBN 0-7007-1452-9 The reasons for this stunning reversal of fortune are still disputed, though some credit is surely due to the much-maligned but effective rulers of the Isaurian dynasty , Leo III (r. 717-41) and Constantine V (r. 741-75), who stabilized the empire’s borders after the catastrophic losses of the seventh century. 7 Since the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, Basil I (r. 867-86), was a Thracian peasant of Armenian origin, the term “Macedonian dynasty” is something of a misnomer, but it is used so ubiquitously in secondary scholarship and in the sources themselves as well that is pointless to attempt to replace it with something else. Chitwood, Zachary (2017). Byzantine Legal Culture and the Roman Legal Tradition, 867-1056. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9781107182561. Alexander Vasiliev argues that "The majority of scholars consider Basil an Armenian who had settled in Macedonia, and speak of his dynasty as the Armenian dynasty. But in view of the fact that there were many Armenians and Slavs among the population of Macedonia, it might be correct to assume that Basil was of mixed Armeno-Slavonic origin." Vasiliev, Alexander (1964). History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453, Volume 1. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 301. ISBN 9780299809256. His father is widely considered to be of Armenian origin. Whittow, Mark (1996). The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025. University of California Press. p. 201. ISBN 9780520204966. Four emperors - Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I and John Tzimiskes - seem to have been Armenian, as well as the empress Theodora, Theophilos' wife...” Rosser, John Hutchins (2012). "Armenia". Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. Scarecrow Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780810875678. ...a number of important military leaders and civil administrators were Armenian, including emperors Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I Lekapenos, and John I Tzimiskes.” Treadgold 1997, p. 455: "Though of Armenian stock, Basil was called the Macedonian because he had been born in the Theme of Macedonia...." Evans, Helen C. (2018). "Armenians and Their Middle Age". Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 34. ISBN 9781588396600. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (r. 610-640) was the son of an Armenian... [...] In 867 Basil I (r. 867-886), whose father was also Armenian...” That Basil I, the founder of the most brilliant dynasty of the Byzantine empire, was indeed Armenian and Armenian on both sides, can be regarded as an established fact." Charanis 1963, p. 35. The Macedonian dynasty ( 867 - 1056 ) marked the apogee of the medieval Byzantine Empire . Its founder, Basil, a peasant born in Macedonia but of Armenian descent "Macedonian Dynasty." Oxford Reference. starting with the Vita Basilii, let us work through those sources advertising an Armenian ancestry for Basil I in chronological order. indication that Basil was of Armenian descent and that he came originally from Macedonia; in other words, he was a Balkan Armenian. Greenwood, T. (2018). Basil I, Constantine VII and Armenian Literary Tradition in Byzantium. In T. Shawcross & I. Toth (Eds.), Reading in the Byzantine Empire and Beyond (pp. 447-466). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108289993.023 The Byzantine emperor Basil I (ca. 812-886), also known as Basil the Macedonian, ruled from 867 to 886. Despite his unsavory rise to power, he was a gifted statesman who gave the empire new vigor and began its most durable dynasty. Of obscure Armenian parentage, Basil was born in Thrace. The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (1923). See also George Ostrogorsky, History of the Byzantine State (1940; trans. 1956; rev. ed. 1969); The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (2d ed. 1966), pt. 1, edited by J. M. Hussey; and Romilly Jenkins, Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, A.D. 610-1071 (1966). BASIL I. (d. 886), known as the "Macedonian", Roman emperor in the East, was born of a family of Armenian (not Slavonic) descent, settled in Macedonia. Vita Basilii, by his grandson Constantine VII. (bk. v. of the Continuation of Theophanes, ed. Bonn); Genesius (ed. Bonn); Vita Euthymii, ed. De Boor (Berlin, 1888). Of the Arabic sources Tabari is the most important. MODERN WoRKs. - Finlay, History of Greece, vol. ii. (Oxford, 1877); Gibbon, Decline and Fall, vols. v. and vi. (ed. Bury, London, 1898); Hergenrother, Photius, Patriarch von Constantinopel, vol. ii. (Regensburg, 1867). (J. B. B.) Although he was technically of Armenian descent, Basil acquired the moniker “the Macedonian” because Armenia was in the theme of Macedonia at the time of Basil's birth around the year 811. peasants who were forcibly brought to Bulgaria in 813 under the Bulgar Kahn Krum. Eldridge, Kelsey, "Byzantine Emperors and Old Testament Kings: Contextualizing the Paris Psalter as a Product of Ninth and Tenth Century Byzantine Imperial Ideology" (2011). Summer Research. Paper 131.
Comparing Basil II in the 10th century to the 10th chapter of Jeremiah, since Basil II wasn’t interested in education: Jeremiah 10:14 (KJV) Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.
@@junesilvermanb2979My latest video comparing the books of the 12th spoke 1st and 2nd cycle 2Kings and Nahum: ua-cam.com/video/XYaRC_frCbQ/v-deo.html ----- The Biblewheel: The three-fold symmetry of the Bible. Learn how the bible interprets the bible through numerical patterns. The Bible is numerically patterned along with the Post-Christian history as Jesus Christ is the turning point of our new faith. The Bible reveals the dominating themes of each century within the given book or chapter or even the numbers used within the text. The study is a work in progress. But it does reveal not only the issues or problems (like corruption) but also reveals what God's word is and how we can confront it to win the battle in Jesus' name. Relating the post-Christian history century-by-century to the order of books in the Bible is inspired by: www.biblewheel.com/History/KingdomKey.php The study of numbers in the bible: [Genesis 21:29-31 KJV] 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What [mean] these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For [these] seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. "Sheba" means both "7" and "to swear" showing that numbers have spiritual meanings as well. Eight refers to oil, anointing and fatness (shemen). Ten refers to riches (esser). When you read the bible you'll see the similarities between the order of books and their stories along with each century and their stories: Biblewheel Post-Christian History Menu: thebiblewheel.blogspot.com/2018/01/biblewheel-church-history-menu.html Biblewheel Introduction: ua-cam.com/video/pMil04vnoJA/v-deo.html The Biblewheel and History: ua-cam.com/video/qlWWpp810bY/v-deo.html The Menorah/Candlestick and it's symbolism: thebiblewheel.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-menorah-candlestick-and-its.html The Seven Churches of Asia Menu: thebiblewheel.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-seven-churches-of-asia-menu.html My Facebook group page: facebook.com/groups/biblewheel/ If you want to get updates on the subject send me your email.
i m a bulgarian and let me tell you how pointless are those wars,190 years after Basil come Kaloyan the Romanslayer,and in the end suffer and died only common peoples,from both sides,becose of our *great *rullers
Never heard of the “common era” moniker? Based on the same anno domini calendar system, but uses more secular terminology, since, you know, the whole world isn’t Christian. Really surprised you’ve never heard of this term.
i'm lost. why did Sclerus told Basil "admit no woman to the imperial councils." ??? why not? i cannot see the logic here. was it just by default that women in their society were forbidden from taking more prominent positions in governing? if so... why even mention it then? by this, it is my understanding that there was at least one case in which women WERE indeed in imperial councils but it went bad and thus... they were forbidden from ever having that kind of power again. but to my very limited knowledge... Justinian I's wife saved his reputation and his empire by speaking in such a council. surely they could not have forgotten this, nor dismiss it, right? and that was just one example
It was something of a trope that women should not be allowed to participate in government and that men who relied on them in any way were weak. Theodora is viewed more positively now, but at the time, she was viewed as a meddler. Another comparable prejudice was the one against eunuchs, which held that all of them were driven by insatiable greed. Part of the driving force behind (aristocratic) writers demeaning women and eunuchs is that they thought that any influence exercised by women and eunuchs meant a position not being filled by an aristocratic man and unwanted competition for the emperor's ear and imperial resources.
@@ThersitestheHistorian aaaaand there it is. The true reason. Influence. Well their arrogance was only as big as their own greed. Many thanks for the reply. And the channel as a whole
Listening to this while making my Basil II comic book! That’s great quality of historical narration
Really????!!!! I want to see it, is it already out???
Ah, yes, the most metal nickname ever.
Imagine a band called Βουλγαροκτόνος. So badass, yet problematic at the same time
Bulgars stronk
Indeed
@@aleksk4151 nah
@@ilduce4298 what?
Bulgars were the only ones who beat Basil II.
August 986 when Basil walked Putin-style across Bulgaria, attacking Sofia, thinking Bulgarians are weak. He almost died.
Krakra of Pernik also beat Basil personally
That Skleros meeting would be amazing in a movie
Loads of things from Byzantine history could be amazing in a movie or series (but i prefer documentaries).
...so as the charge of Bardas PHOKAS on Basileios II with the intent of killing him in a single to single combat.As Phokas saw the Icon of the Holy mother in the hand of Basileios he was fulgured (by a cardiac arrest) and fell from his horse to the feet of the Emperor ,dead !
Its a shame that no great movie of the byzantines exist.
A movie was made in Italy during the 1960's called The Last Roman starring Orson Welles and Honour Blackman centered around the reign of the Emperor Justinian. I saw it in the cinema years ago. They played around with the facts a little bit, which is what movie makers usually do but from memory, because I haven't seen the movie in years it wasn't bad. There were a lot of battle scenes especially against the Goths.
The mad lad actually did it.
He's an interesting figure in that he had horrible luck early in his military campaigns. But he learned! He was not charismatic like Caesar or Alexander but used the brilliancy of being emperor be his charm. In a way Basil is also a sad lonely figure that was married to the empire. As you stated his will and focus was his best weapon in rising to the occasion. Well done!
IT'S FINALLY HERE
What a Brilliant set of lectures. I leant a lot from these. Thank you
Basil II the Chad
GodEmperor level Chad
@@JonBrownSherman his a giga chad
Basil the Based
@@JonBrownShermanp
I was so hyped for this episode
Most people think we're weird, we/I love history, most people think that is the strongest thing that they've ever seen or heard of.
Wanting to be alone to read study or God forbid....just to be alone, totally at peace for a few precious hrs per week.
I was really into wildlife shows in my early teens, all my friends would look at me like I was from Mars when they would drop by, unannounced, I grew weed, brewed beer in the 70's, I'd be watching David Attenbrough on PBS
I have had more of a struggle to not hound you at every opportunity about this one video series than anything else I have ever really been anticipating. You really delivered on this and look forward to the next few videos attached to it. It's good to see you making distinctions between him and his brother because I think popular myth to readily paints them as one, so he is some superman figure, not giving Constantine VIII his credit. Awesome work I know personally the source list on this is dense and had to have taken you a good long while to get through.
Κονσταντίνος just sucked when he was forced to rule in his own right due to an extended period of decadence and little responsibility (other than producing an heir, which he probably was more than happy to do), so everyone assumes he was bad for his entire life
Honestly never knew he was such a capable ruler. We always view him as the villain in the heroic strugle between him and Samuel. Now I'm really excited to see things from the Byzantine side at the Battle of Kleidion
Bulgarian? He's your emperor too.
@@majorianus8055 Yeah, no.
You were the bad guys invaders/helping the turks later
@@lessssssgooooo Greeks and Serbs were the only ones helping the Turks.
@@shef7074 Bulgarians are the invaders. The Balkans belonged to the Greeks and Romans.
I've been waiting for YEARS!!! Awesome job.
I didn't know how close basil was to being usurped and how lucky he got by having his usurper drop dead in the beginning of a decisive battle
Basil seems to have had the edge if Phocas was trying to call him out for a duel, but still, having the enemy leader drop dead and demoralize his men before the two lines meet is just about the best way imaginable to turn a likely victory into a certain victory.
When I think of my own life, I see a multitude of fortunate events, coincidences, *"Luck,"* that, had they not have occurred....I'd surely be dead.
I'm 56yrs this month, living in paradise, I am very fortunate, I am truly grateful to be alive and see all my family healthy and happy.
Life is Good.
@@tommyodonovan3883 nobody gaf
@@tommyodonovan3883 nobody gaf
@@alphaomega1173I gaf
Yessss! I've been looking forward to this one. :-)
Basil the Bulgar Slayer aka Byzantines greatest Chad Emperor.
@@aleksk4151 He reconquered a lost Roman province. It was a reconquest of Moesia not a conquest of Bulgaria.
@@MalteseWonderdog1429 Don't abuse. Everyone is proud of their heroes.
@@aleksk4151 Little boy😂. All barbarians are jealous of the Romans and Romaioi Hellenes and their cultural legacy. The display of a skull cup shows the culture of Bulgaria i.e barbarian. This doesn't mean I am denying you Bulgars won battles against the Roman Empire. You did and fought bravely for the Bulgarians. Civil wars in Constantinople and Arab threats always meant less focus on the Balkans. Basil is the Bulgar Slayer and Kaloyan is the Roman slayer but none of them could save Eastern Europe from the Turks.
@@MalteseWonderdog1429
i guess our laughable empire was laughing more at your big, rich but incompetent armies
cause we won the majority of the fights
@@MalteseWonderdog1429 I'm always gonna defend Bulgaria.
Negative comments for Bulgaria cannot be left undealt with, so I came to deal with them and put them in right place.
Any dirt thrown in her address has to be cleared, cause Bulgaria is a pure country.
My propaganda campaign is going bad cause it doesn't exist, my truth-spreading campaign is going well cause more people learn, respect and start admiring Bulgarian history, culture and nature. .
Type battle of Pliska, battle of Versinikia, Constantinople and read comments
The story of Basil II is one of the many tales of the triumphs and tragedies of imperial power.
I have been waiting for this for 2 years, you have no mercy dude
I can't stop imagining Basil II Putin-walking to and from Bulgaria
Poor Basilios, there is a current propagandistic side to this
he walked Putin-style into Bulgaria in 986 and almost died
@@aleksk4151 just like your empire ?
@@lessssssgooooo no problem, we got second empire after that
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bulgarian_Empire
our first empire ended because we got promised an amazing treatment, riches, high social status, low taxes, good life if we simply give up resisting.
Basil won by diplomacy in that sense.
Constantine VIII was the Byzantine version of Lucius Verus. The handsome, athletic party boy with fewer responsibilities.
Best Roman Emperor.
Basil was a Byzantine, A Greek Emperor,Not. A Roman
@@ouraniamurphy8022 Byzantines were Roman.
Bournoutian, George (2002). A Concise History of the Armenian People. Mazda Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9781568591414. ....the later Macedonian dynasty, according to most Byzantinists, was of Armenian origin as well. [...] Ironically, it was this same Armenian dynasty which was chiefly responsible for the breakup of the Bagratuni kingdom.
The important Macedonian dynasty was founded by Basil I (867-86), an Armenian.
Chahin, Mack. The Kingdom of Armenia: A History. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001, p. 232 ISBN 0-7007-1452-9
The reasons for this stunning reversal of fortune are still disputed, though some credit is surely due to the much-maligned but effective rulers of the Isaurian dynasty , Leo III (r. 717-41) and Constantine V (r. 741-75), who stabilized the empire’s borders after the catastrophic losses of the seventh century. 7 Since the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, Basil I (r. 867-86), was a Thracian peasant of Armenian origin, the term “Macedonian dynasty” is something of a misnomer, but it is used so ubiquitously in secondary scholarship and in the sources themselves as well that is pointless to attempt to replace it with something else.
Chitwood, Zachary (2017). Byzantine Legal Culture and the Roman Legal Tradition, 867-1056. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9781107182561.
Alexander Vasiliev argues that "The majority of scholars consider Basil an Armenian who had settled in Macedonia, and speak of his dynasty as the Armenian dynasty. But in view of the fact that there were many Armenians and Slavs among the population of Macedonia, it might be correct to assume that Basil was of mixed Armeno-Slavonic origin."
Vasiliev, Alexander (1964). History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453, Volume 1. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 301. ISBN 9780299809256.
His father is widely considered to be of Armenian origin.
Whittow, Mark (1996). The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025. University of California Press. p. 201. ISBN 9780520204966. Four emperors - Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I and John Tzimiskes - seem to have been Armenian, as well as the empress Theodora, Theophilos' wife...”
Rosser, John Hutchins (2012). "Armenia". Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. Scarecrow Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780810875678. ...a number of important military leaders and civil administrators were Armenian, including emperors Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I Lekapenos, and John I Tzimiskes.”
Treadgold 1997, p. 455: "Though of Armenian stock, Basil was called the Macedonian because he had been born in the Theme of Macedonia...."
Evans, Helen C. (2018). "Armenians and Their Middle Age". Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 34. ISBN 9781588396600. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (r. 610-640) was the son of an Armenian... [...] In 867 Basil I (r. 867-886), whose father was also Armenian...”
That Basil I, the founder of the most brilliant dynasty of the Byzantine empire, was indeed Armenian and Armenian on both sides, can be regarded as an established fact."
Charanis 1963, p. 35.
The Macedonian dynasty ( 867 - 1056 ) marked the apogee of the medieval Byzantine Empire . Its founder, Basil, a peasant born in Macedonia but of Armenian descent
"Macedonian Dynasty." Oxford Reference.
starting with the Vita Basilii, let us work through those sources advertising an Armenian ancestry for Basil I in chronological order.
indication that Basil was of Armenian descent and that he came originally from Macedonia; in other words, he was a Balkan Armenian.
Greenwood, T. (2018). Basil I, Constantine VII and Armenian Literary Tradition in Byzantium. In T. Shawcross & I. Toth (Eds.), Reading in the Byzantine Empire and Beyond (pp. 447-466). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108289993.023
The Byzantine emperor Basil I (ca. 812-886), also known as Basil the Macedonian, ruled from 867 to 886. Despite his unsavory rise to power, he was a gifted statesman who gave the empire new vigor and began its most durable dynasty.
Of obscure Armenian parentage, Basil was born in Thrace.
The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (1923). See also George Ostrogorsky, History of the Byzantine State (1940; trans. 1956; rev. ed. 1969); The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (2d ed. 1966), pt. 1, edited by J. M. Hussey; and Romilly Jenkins, Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, A.D. 610-1071 (1966).
BASIL I. (d. 886), known as the "Macedonian", Roman emperor in the East, was born of a family of Armenian (not Slavonic) descent, settled in Macedonia.
Vita Basilii, by his grandson Constantine VII. (bk. v. of the Continuation of Theophanes, ed. Bonn); Genesius (ed. Bonn); Vita Euthymii, ed. De Boor (Berlin, 1888). Of the Arabic sources Tabari is the most important.
MODERN WoRKs. - Finlay, History of Greece, vol. ii. (Oxford, 1877); Gibbon, Decline and Fall, vols. v. and vi. (ed. Bury, London, 1898); Hergenrother, Photius, Patriarch von Constantinopel, vol. ii. (Regensburg, 1867). (J. B. B.)
Although he was technically of Armenian descent, Basil acquired the moniker “the Macedonian” because Armenia was in the theme of Macedonia at the time of Basil's birth around the year 811. peasants who were forcibly brought to Bulgaria in 813 under the Bulgar Kahn Krum.
Eldridge, Kelsey, "Byzantine Emperors and Old Testament Kings: Contextualizing the Paris Psalter as a Product of Ninth and Tenth Century Byzantine Imperial Ideology" (2011). Summer Research. Paper 131.
@@ouraniamurphy8022 Armenian-Roman emperor
@@kaldirdimgobegi Um.... Neat I guess.
top 5 Roman Emperor.
This is the best Basil Documentary I gave watched this multiple times
FINALLY, I WAS WAITING FOR THIS ONE!
There it is. Thank you
The greatest.
The man himself
IT’S HAPPENING!!!
Yes
Basil2nd the Great, one of the greatest Emperors since Augustus and Continue 1st.The life of Basil 2nd the Great was perhaps the High watermark of the Empire, he ranks with Augustus and Constine 1st the Great and his death was a turning point in the History of the Empire and of Earth's History, when he died he was planning a military champion in Italy that was set for the spring of 1026, had that happened the history of Italy would have been changed forever !. his dearth is Generally seen as the point, where the Empire began its slow long decline that at times was stopped, turned around, slowed, but then would go on!.---his death is thus a good example of the very passing of one person changing the very course of History !.
He is the greatest Eastern Roman Emperor (period), and only Augustus really exceeds him. That being said, I don't think Basil could've really pulled off a Sicilian campaign, as he was likely passed his prime by that point
"and of Earths history" is really a big overstatement
@@ΡωμανόςΔ́Διογένης-θ6δ No the reconquest of Italy was fool hardy and overstretched the empire. It also wasted resources and devastated Italy. He had to also pay the Persians to be allowed to focus on Italy which again drained the treasury. A complete waste of all the money saved by Anastasius. Leaving the Ostrogoths in Italy would have been okay and they could have done politics to replace the king with a pro Roman one and fomented an internal rebellion later rather than external reconquest.
I can see you made this with love. Thank you
This is amazing for my future research and still got 2 more to go ! Awesome work on Byzantium man
Apparently the Bulgarians had the title Tsar(Czar) from the Latin Caesar long before the Russians had it.
Yep
you do know that is our title right? it was Simeon the Great ho made it and ofc was the first to use it.(so in short its our original title :D made by the strongest bulgarian ruler ever. www.google.bg/search?q=tzar+simeon+the+great&source=lmns&bih=647&biw=1253&hl=bg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6jeWCkPjqAhUO-hoKHainAgAQ_AUoAHoECAEQAA.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar
Why is that so strange to some people?
@@strahinjastevic7480 It's because people are very familiar with the title czar or tsar used for the Russian monarchs especially for such greats as Peter,Alexander and Nicholas II the tragic last czar but are almost totally not familiar with Bulgarian history which after all is a very minor country in the scheme of things!
Yes I have been waiting for this so much
I'm ready for the ride
Very pleasing, interesting video.
Will you do a separate video about Ζοή Πορφυρογεννητη, or will you just be covering her husbands?
13:50 That is s really inaccurate map. Why did it give the Empire Sicily and Western Bulgaria?
Stupid question:
Did the Byzantines during the Medieval period view their emperors as holy figures ordained by God or were they just military dictators? I know Diocletian and Constantine presented themselves as "holy" but I was curious if this lasted through the Byzantine age?
They were expected to defend Orthodox Christianity and had significant influence on the Church, but there was formal separation between the offices of church and state (not between church and state itself, though), even though the Basileus had a large amount of control over appointments and stuff like that. But the Basileus was not a "holy figure" himself though (most of the time), but simply a defender of the faith
This is actually a great question. It's probably the reason why no other emperors besides Constantine were proclaimed as saints by the church, among other things. Throughout most of Byzantine history, the emperor was officially considered to be the image of Christ himself here on earth, so he is not only ordained by God, but is basically the only person with an immediate connection to Him, and is therefore considered to be even beyond sainthood, in a sense. So everything the emperor is doing should (ideally) be derived from this special identity bestowed on him from above, so his duties naturally include things like defending the faith, protecting his Empire, maintaining order etc. There's a great paper that explores this dynamic, called "Living icon of Christ", by Vlada Stankovic, you can find it on Academia. It talks about how briefly in the 9th century the patriarch Photios tried to reverse this order and placed himself above the emperor in the hierarchy, so it makes for a great case study of their relationship, and by contrast shows how the emperor was generally viewed by the Byzantines.
The previous answers pretty much sum it up. I would only add that the emperors born in the purple seem to have been more comfortable trying to exert their influence on the direction of church affairs, which may suggest that there was some implicit idea that more legitimate emperors may have seen themselves as somewhat divinely ordained.
@@Lundalf Some of the Byzantine empresses were declared saints -e,g. Pulcheria,a very pious woman,who was empress in her own right for a while -she was a member of the Theodosian dynasty.
@@tacocruiser4238 Except Justinian was not Πορφυρογεννιτός (born in the purple), as he was born outside the imperial palace in rural Thrace. His lack of perceived legitimacy actually was a major theme of his reign, as he never was able to receive the true trust of the nobility
Basilicus Chaddicus Porphyrogénnētos
Well done.
Finally my most favorite emperor,my own ancestor,thanks,man!
How can he be your ancestor if he never had any children?
It was about time it hoy here
Not the Bulgar Slayer. This is a later name for him when nationalism was on the rise.
His true name should be the Baptiser of Russia. This is the man who used the Varangian Guard to great effect.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard
@@XcT27 Bulgars in that sense were a Turkic tribe and not the Slavic relatives of the Rus. My point is that Basil is not anti-Slavic, but drew on the strength on the Slavs.
@@Josdamale a lot of bulgarians find describing the original bulgars as turkic as a direct attack on them and their identity, which is kinda idiotic.
Dude where the f*** is Basil II Part 2 ....My life is at a standstill....Hurry the f*** up!
Bulgarians kicked his ass :D
@@ΡωμανόςΔ́Διογένης-θ6δ bro i say the truth he personally got his ass kicked by Bulgarians 4 times. Re-read history again if you doubt. The fact you say i am dreaming says you only read propaganda.
I comment so people know the whole story and don't believe by blindness at the look of his desperado nickname "bulgar-slayer" when in fact he almost died in 1 battle against the Bulgars.
Bulgarians also have a King Slayer called Kaloyanis, but don't show off with him unlike the Byzantine fanboys
@@ΡωμανόςΔ́Διογένης-θ6δ in your dreams. He didn't crush us, he won few battles because our army was sleeping in two battles and Byzantines attacked us while we sleep,
he won by seducing Bulgarians with rich gifts, money, high social status, royal treatment that's why we submitted to him.
He created themata called Bulgaria and Byzantines treated us like kings during the occupation :)
so crushed is only your butthurt furtive efforts to gain a drop of superiority over us. Forget it. Bulgarians even liberate later and create Second empire .
@@Moons-of-Jupiter152 i agree with everything you said.
I also don't think Basil was that bad as westerns and greek historians make him to be.
Yes yes yes this is what we subscribed for
Love Bulgaria from India
My to bro love Great Indian people and cevilizaxion.Grreting from Bulgaria
28:45 Fun fact: After the unification of various Georgian polities into the kingdom of Georgia early in the 11th century, the names "Kartli" and "Kartveli" became a basis of the Georgian self designation Sakartvelo.
Neat!
Basil II ranks high among the very best Roman Emperors.
He is up there with the likes of Hadrian, Aurelian or Justinian.
This is a good channel.
Oh yeaaaah, It’s here baby.
Basil I did need some rehabilitation, to be fair to Constantine VII. Every time I've read anything about him, I get Ivan the Terrible vibes.
Well i Wonder could you do a series on each western roman emperors?
(honorius - romulus augustus)
If he does, it'll be in a while
Basil 2 Vasili 2 Bulgarian Slayer one of best Est Roman Emperator.Teue .I,m Bulgarian but respekt for brave man.
my country brave finght 30-40year vs Basil2 .Epic battles in Bulgarian empire vs Est Roman Empite Bizantyne 7 century warrs . Bulgaria 🇧🇬 cheers 🍻 Greece 🇬🇷
Yay! Do more Byzantine emperor videos
Finally! Thanks!
dude i watch this video twice
Oh nice, just caught up!
What a madlad
What state are you from? I'm picking up the slightest of accents, If I had to guess it's a "northern" southern state, because it is faint but your "o" sound is giving you away in words like "approach", for some reason I want to say Maryland.
He was born in the South (somewhere) but currently lives around Columbus Ohio
@@BloodRider1914 I have been watching for a couple months now but I just picked up the accent. For some reason I wouldn't have thought he was from the south. I was surprised got my biases checked haha.
Yay!it had happened another byzantine emperor
So the family was originally Masidonian, Basil II *"The Bulgar Slayer"* Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire was the 5th generation.
Finally
Will we have the honour of part 2?
And continuation of this masterpiece?
Edward the 1st 1274 to 1307 the *"Hammer of the Scots"* aka "Longshanks" is a good nickname(s) too.
I like it when byzantines are successful like there pagan ancestors
good video. makes mew ant to play ck2/eu4
When are you gonna do the video about Bardas Sclerus?
Yes yes yes
LET’S GOOOOO
a Basil got lucky the first time he picked a fight with Samuel 986 ua-cam.com/video/sS8Le6qiah0/v-deo.html . Basil and Samuel had the longest war ever in our bulgarian history :D for (28 or 43) years long ass war at least from 971 when Samuel gets in power to his end 1014.
Kinda sad to see this man's life set so in stone, but I don't know. Maybe I feel worse for him than he ever did for himself.
Good one!
Let’s goooooooooooooo
Why didn't u try to retake libya in in the first arab civil war ?
I found a basil II coin in Turkey
If this great man had only adopted a worthy man as his son.
They really could have upped the alliteration without too much imagination, "Basil the Bearded Byzantine Bulgar-Breaking Beast"
I feel like he should have defeated the seljuks to get them out of there
How do you rank Basil II? A or S? I probably drop him to an A because he installed Constantine VIII to the throne.
This nick nickname doesn't do justice to a great emperor like Basil II. He was definitely not a fearsome polemarch like his predecessors Phocas and Tzimiskes who had organized for him a formidable army. He just delivered the final blow to Bulgarians but he was not a "Bulgar slayer". He was also a great politician and maybe the greatest economist since Justinian. I think Nicephoros Phocas should be called the "Saracene slayer" or the "Arab slayer". He managed to exterminate many thousands of Arabs during his service as Domestikos ton Scholon tis Anatolis (chief of staff) and emperor.
I agree, John Tzimiskes did conquer Bulgaria in a sence but Basil II firmly put it under byzantine control.
Nikephoros was called "The Pale Death Of The Saracens"
The funny thing is that both Basil and Samuel are from Armenian lineage.
@@MalteseWonderdog1429
Bournoutian, George (2002). A Concise History of the Armenian People. Mazda Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9781568591414. ....the later Macedonian dynasty, according to most Byzantinists, was of Armenian origin as well. [...] Ironically, it was this same Armenian dynasty which was chiefly responsible for the breakup of the Bagratuni kingdom.
The important Macedonian dynasty was founded by Basil I (867-86), an Armenian.
Chahin, Mack. The Kingdom of Armenia: A History. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001, p. 232 ISBN 0-7007-1452-9
The reasons for this stunning reversal of fortune are still disputed, though some credit is surely due to the much-maligned but effective rulers of the Isaurian dynasty , Leo III (r. 717-41) and Constantine V (r. 741-75), who stabilized the empire’s borders after the catastrophic losses of the seventh century. 7 Since the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, Basil I (r. 867-86), was a Thracian peasant of Armenian origin, the term “Macedonian dynasty” is something of a misnomer, but it is used so ubiquitously in secondary scholarship and in the sources themselves as well that is pointless to attempt to replace it with something else.
Chitwood, Zachary (2017). Byzantine Legal Culture and the Roman Legal Tradition, 867-1056. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9781107182561.
Alexander Vasiliev argues that "The majority of scholars consider Basil an Armenian who had settled in Macedonia, and speak of his dynasty as the Armenian dynasty. But in view of the fact that there were many Armenians and Slavs among the population of Macedonia, it might be correct to assume that Basil was of mixed Armeno-Slavonic origin."
Vasiliev, Alexander (1964). History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453, Volume 1. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 301. ISBN 9780299809256.
His father is widely considered to be of Armenian origin.
Whittow, Mark (1996). The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025. University of California Press. p. 201. ISBN 9780520204966. Four emperors - Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I and John Tzimiskes - seem to have been Armenian, as well as the empress Theodora, Theophilos' wife...”
Rosser, John Hutchins (2012). "Armenia". Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. Scarecrow Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780810875678. ...a number of important military leaders and civil administrators were Armenian, including emperors Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I Lekapenos, and John I Tzimiskes.”
Treadgold 1997, p. 455: "Though of Armenian stock, Basil was called the Macedonian because he had been born in the Theme of Macedonia...."
Evans, Helen C. (2018). "Armenians and Their Middle Age". Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 34. ISBN 9781588396600. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (r. 610-640) was the son of an Armenian... [...] In 867 Basil I (r. 867-886), whose father was also Armenian...”
That Basil I, the founder of the most brilliant dynasty of the Byzantine empire, was indeed Armenian and Armenian on both sides, can be regarded as an established fact."
Charanis 1963, p. 35.
The Macedonian dynasty ( 867 - 1056 ) marked the apogee of the medieval Byzantine Empire . Its founder, Basil, a peasant born in Macedonia but of Armenian descent
"Macedonian Dynasty." Oxford Reference.
starting with the Vita Basilii, let us work through those sources advertising an Armenian ancestry for Basil I in chronological order.
indication that Basil was of Armenian descent and that he came originally from Macedonia; in other words, he was a Balkan Armenian.
Greenwood, T. (2018). Basil I, Constantine VII and Armenian Literary Tradition in Byzantium. In T. Shawcross & I. Toth (Eds.), Reading in the Byzantine Empire and Beyond (pp. 447-466). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108289993.023
The Byzantine emperor Basil I (ca. 812-886), also known as Basil the Macedonian, ruled from 867 to 886. Despite his unsavory rise to power, he was a gifted statesman who gave the empire new vigor and began its most durable dynasty.
Of obscure Armenian parentage, Basil was born in Thrace.
The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (1923). See also George Ostrogorsky, History of the Byzantine State (1940; trans. 1956; rev. ed. 1969); The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 4 (2d ed. 1966), pt. 1, edited by J. M. Hussey; and Romilly Jenkins, Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, A.D. 610-1071 (1966).
BASIL I. (d. 886), known as the "Macedonian", Roman emperor in the East, was born of a family of Armenian (not Slavonic) descent, settled in Macedonia.
Vita Basilii, by his grandson Constantine VII. (bk. v. of the Continuation of Theophanes, ed. Bonn); Genesius (ed. Bonn); Vita Euthymii, ed. De Boor (Berlin, 1888). Of the Arabic sources Tabari is the most important.
MODERN WoRKs. - Finlay, History of Greece, vol. ii. (Oxford, 1877); Gibbon, Decline and Fall, vols. v. and vi. (ed. Bury, London, 1898); Hergenrother, Photius, Patriarch von Constantinopel, vol. ii. (Regensburg, 1867). (J. B. B.)
Although he was technically of Armenian descent, Basil acquired the moniker “the Macedonian” because Armenia was in the theme of Macedonia at the time of Basil's birth around the year 811. peasants who were forcibly brought to Bulgaria in 813 under the Bulgar Kahn Krum.
Eldridge, Kelsey, "Byzantine Emperors and Old Testament Kings: Contextualizing the Paris Psalter as a Product of Ninth and Tenth Century Byzantine Imperial Ideology" (2011). Summer Research. Paper 131.
@@MalteseWonderdog1429 It was Armenian dynasty not Hellenic so it is not part of your weak history
@@kaldirdimgobegi Leo was not the son of Basil,but the son of Michael the Amorian,who was Greek.
He got his hands on a Viking army and he became the slayer.
The byzantine sword went from rusty to sharp.
Comparing Basil II in the 10th century to the 10th chapter of Jeremiah, since Basil II wasn’t interested in education:
Jeremiah 10:14 (KJV) Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Jeremiah
@@junesilvermanb2979My latest video comparing the books of the 12th spoke 1st and 2nd cycle 2Kings and Nahum:
ua-cam.com/video/XYaRC_frCbQ/v-deo.html
-----
The Biblewheel: The three-fold symmetry of the Bible.
Learn how the bible interprets the bible through numerical patterns.
The Bible is numerically patterned along with the Post-Christian history as Jesus Christ is the turning point of our new faith. The Bible reveals the dominating themes of each century within the given book or chapter or even the numbers used within the text. The study is a work in progress. But it does reveal not only the issues or problems (like corruption) but also reveals what God's word is and how we can confront it to win the battle in Jesus' name.
Relating the post-Christian history century-by-century to the order of books in the Bible is inspired by:
www.biblewheel.com/History/KingdomKey.php
The study of numbers in the bible:
[Genesis 21:29-31 KJV]
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What [mean] these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30 And he said, For [these] seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
"Sheba" means both "7" and "to swear" showing that numbers have spiritual meanings as well.
Eight refers to oil, anointing and fatness (shemen).
Ten refers to riches (esser).
When you read the bible you'll see the similarities between the order of books and their stories along with each century and their stories:
Biblewheel Post-Christian History Menu:
thebiblewheel.blogspot.com/2018/01/biblewheel-church-history-menu.html
Biblewheel Introduction:
ua-cam.com/video/pMil04vnoJA/v-deo.html
The Biblewheel and History:
ua-cam.com/video/qlWWpp810bY/v-deo.html
The Menorah/Candlestick and it's symbolism:
thebiblewheel.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-menorah-candlestick-and-its.html
The Seven Churches of Asia Menu:
thebiblewheel.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-seven-churches-of-asia-menu.html
My Facebook group page:
facebook.com/groups/biblewheel/
If you want to get updates on the subject send me your email.
where is part 2?
Great series, when’s part 2 coming out?
Ideally before the end of the month, but I have been pretty busy so I can't make any promises.
@@ThersitestheHistorian No worries, again thanks for the great content.
i m a bulgarian and let me tell you how pointless are those wars,190 years after Basil come Kaloyan the Romanslayer,and in the end suffer and died only common peoples,from both sides,becose of our *great *rullers
That's geopolitcs for you
If Constantine was lucky enough to have sons. . . Unfortunately, he was unlucky and had daughters.
I think you mean 976 AD (anno domini) not CE...unless it is in another language I'm not aware of.
Never heard of the “common era” moniker? Based on the same anno domini calendar system, but uses more secular terminology, since, you know, the whole world isn’t Christian. Really surprised you’ve never heard of this term.
that map from the early 15 minute mark is from an alternatehistory timeline.
Actuly its quite Acuete
@@sockshistorychanel7715 No, I mean, it's literally from an alternatehistory timeline.
As in, alternatehistory forums. I recognize the map used.
@@widowmaker4976 Its a acurete alt history map
1:01:45 "tyropoion" means, of course, cheese factory 😄
Ya but he wasn't able to take the Levant or Egypt back so I wouldn't say that Byzantium reached its golden age again
Retaking Egypt & the Levent at this point in Roman history was a pipe dream. No one could’ve done it, the Arab’s were there to stay
If there was a five good emperors period.It’s not practical and feasible.
Anyway this happened a long time ago, right guys? Guys?
For helping the Russian peoples to be Christianized, he should have been canonized! St. Basil II the Bulgar Slayer!
Part 2 ?
Stannis? Stannis!!
I thought he had earphones in the picture
Autocratic, unsociable, militaristic, Basil II might have been Nikephoras Phocas' son.
He was Armenian by origin
Doesen't mean he was culturally armenian, then again what do you care, you're turkish. You despise both
i'm lost. why did Sclerus told Basil "admit no woman to the imperial councils." ??? why not? i cannot see the logic here. was it just by default that women in their society were forbidden from taking more prominent positions in governing? if so... why even mention it then? by this, it is my understanding that there was at least one case in which women WERE indeed in imperial councils but it went bad and thus... they were forbidden from ever having that kind of power again. but to my very limited knowledge... Justinian I's wife saved his reputation and his empire by speaking in such a council. surely they could not have forgotten this, nor dismiss it, right? and that was just one example
It was something of a trope that women should not be allowed to participate in government and that men who relied on them in any way were weak. Theodora is viewed more positively now, but at the time, she was viewed as a meddler. Another comparable prejudice was the one against eunuchs, which held that all of them were driven by insatiable greed. Part of the driving force behind (aristocratic) writers demeaning women and eunuchs is that they thought that any influence exercised by women and eunuchs meant a position not being filled by an aristocratic man and unwanted competition for the emperor's ear and imperial resources.
@@ThersitestheHistorian aaaaand there it is. The true reason. Influence. Well their arrogance was only as big as their own greed. Many thanks for the reply. And the channel as a whole
WHY IS LUBU HERE?!?!?!?!? 101:30
When I was reading about Bardas Phokas, I couldn't help but think of Lu Bu.
@@ThersitestheHistorian Hmmmmm interesting. Well I'm certain LU BU would win in a fight if they battled though lol.
The first syllable of “zenith” is pronounced “zee”.
Imperial slippers, lol