An Armenian peasant who rose through the imperial court by cultivating the favor of Emperor Michael III, Basil I seized sole power in 867 by murdering both his rival Bardas and Michael himself. As emperor he proved a transformative ruler, reconquering the Dalmatian coast and Italian cities, rebuilding the navy, reforming the law code, and adorning Constantinople with monumental buildings. He founded the Macedonian dynasty, which would preside over Byzantium's Golden Age and reach its greatest heights two generations later under his great-great-grandson Basil II.
Also known as: Basil I the Macedonian · Basil the Macedonian
What each episode says
Episode 11 (1 mention)
Teased at the end of the episode as the subject of the next podcast episode — Brownworth describes him as having a glittering career, overseeing a renaissance in art, restoring the glory of the empire, and founding the most splendid dynasty in Byzantine history.
“Join me next time as I talk about the glittering career of Basil I, who oversaw a renaissance”
Episode 12 (41 mentions)
An Armenian peasant of extraordinary physical strength and ruthless ambition, Basil rose from groom to co-emperor by ingratiating himself with Michael III and then murdering his rivals Bardas and Michael. As sole emperor he proved a transformative ruler, reconquering the Dalmatian coast and Italian cities, rebuilding the navy, reforming the law code, and adorning Constantinople with monumental buildings — leaving the empire, in Brownworth's telling, the strongest power in Europe and founding a stable dynasty that would preside over Byzantium's Golden Age.
“a patriarch named Phodius and the Emperor Basil.”
“that when Basil and Eudosia had their first child, Leo,”
“if Basil lived, and Leo, even if he wasn't directly involved”
Episode 13 (3 mentions)
Brownworth opens by invoking Basil I as the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, noting he came to the throne by murdering his predecessor and thus knew firsthand how a weak ruler tempted powerful generals. His military ability was never matched by his immediate successors, yet the dynasty he founded ultimately reached its greatest heights with his great-great-grandson Basil II.
“The problem was an old one, and one which Basil I was intimately familiar with.”
“Of the seven emperors between Basil I and II, three of them were generals who usurped”
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