Kings of Italy, Sicily, Naples and the Byzantine Empire

Basil founded the Macedonian dynasty. He was descended from the venerable Arsacides family which, over several centuries, had fallen into hard times. His father was a peasant farmer in Macedonia but, soon after Basil's birth, the entire family was taken into slavery by the Bulgars. Eventually, with other Roman captives, he escaped and made his way to Constantinople where, through advantageous liaisons, he became a valued courtier to the Emperor Michael.

Basil was killed, accidentally, by a stag while hunting. His eldest son, Constantine, had predeceased his father and Basil was succeeded by the eldest of his three remaining sons, Leo.

Leo VI "the Wise" LEO IV (886 - 912)

Leo "the Philosopher" in trying to secure the succession married four times until his final wife, Zoe - a palace concubine, gave birth to a son (Constantine) and a daughter (Theodora). Such a fourth marriage was considered by the Church to be a "sin or scandal" and, when he came to the throne, Constantine had difficulty in legitimising his position.

CONSTANTINE VII (913 - 959)

Constantine "the Porphyrogenite" (born to the purple) was six years old when he came to the throne. During the years of his minority, Constantine was first governed by his uncle, Alexander; then on his death by his mother, Zoe; and finally by a council of seven regents. The rule of this council was socorrupt that eventually it was swept away by ROMANUS LECAPENUS - a famous general.

Romanus was not content to take second place to the Emperor and created himself de facto ruler and with the titles of Caesar and Augustus - titles and honours which he soon adorned on his three sons, Christopher, Stephen, and Constantine. Constantine, the lawful Emperor and a man of studious temper, descended to fifth position in this college of princes while ROMANUS ruled the Empire.

ROMANUS I (919 - 944)

Despite his usurpation of power, Romanus was a mild and religious man who respected the sanctity of promises. However, he was licentious and lazy and forgot the safety both of his family and the Empire.

After the death of his eldest son, the remaining two - Stephen and Constantine - conspired against their father , kidnapped him, and exiled him to a strict religious community on a small island in the Propontis. They also had planned to murder the true Emperor, Constantine, but their plans were discovered and they were sent to join their father in his exile.

Finally, in the fortieth year of his reign, Constantine VII obtained the complete possession of his Empire which he ruled for another fifteen years. Although a just man, he showed little energy in ruling the Empire and the administration was given over to his wife, Helena, and a succession of venal ministers. He neglected to instruct his son, Romanus II, in the practice and theory of government, and his upbringing was left to his mother.

When Constantine VII died he was mourned by the people who suspected that he might have been poisoned by his son Romanus II.

Romanus II (959 - 963)

Romanus was a weak, idle man given over to a life of pleasure who left the running of the Empire in the hands of his wife Theophano. Romanus was unable to satisfy his wife and, after a reign of only four years, she poisoned him.

After the death of Romanus, Theophano aspired to reign in the name of their two young sons Basil (the Second), and Constantine (the Ninth). This proved difficult and she took and then married a protector called Nicephorus Phocas - who became emperor

NICEPHORUS (963 - 969)

JOHN 1 (969 - 976)

BASIL II (976 - 1025)

CONSTANTINE IX (1025 - 1028)

Constantine ruled only for a short time before he died. He did, however, leave three daughters; Eudocia (who took the veil), Zoe, and Theodora - all of whom were unmarried. The people, wishing to keep the Macedonian line on the throne persuaded Zoe to marry ROMANUS ARGYRUS, " a patrician of graceful person", who was invested with the purple after the death of Constantine. [Zoe was eventually married to three emperors]

ROMANUS III (1028 - 1034)

MICHAEL IV (1034 - 1041)

MICHAEL V (1041 - 1042)

CONSTANTINE X (1042 - 1055)

MICHAEL VI (1057? - 1058?)

ISAAC I (1058? - 1059 abdicated, died 1061)

CONSTANTINE XI (1059 - ?)

MICHAEL VII (?), ANDRONICUS I (?), CONSTANTINE XII (?)

BOTANIATES (? )

ALEXIUS I COMNENUS (1081 - 1118)

When he came to the throne the Empire was threatened by external enemies - especially the Normans and the Turks. But good fortune favoured Alexius when both their leaders, Robert Guiscard and Seljuq, died giving him time to establish his rule.

Alexius was perhaps - and certainly by Gibbon's account - the greatest of all the Emperors. "In a long reign of thirty-seven years he subdued and pardoned the envy of his equals: the laws of public and private order were restored: the arts of wealth and science were cultivated: the limits of the empire were enlarged in Europe and Asia; and the Comnenian sceptre was transmitted to his children of the third and fourth generation."

JOHN II (1118 - 1143)

John was the eldest of Alexius' three sons. The second son, Isaac, was content to share the dignityof his birth and office without sharing the imperial power. John was know as the Handsome (Calo-Joannes) more for the beauties of his mind rather than for his good looks.

After an early and unsuccessful attempt to seize the throne by his sister, Anna Comnena - whom he pardoned - John's reign of twenty-five years was untroubled by conspiracy.

A wise, just, and caring Emperor, John reformed many unjust laws during his rule and was loved by his people. As successful abroad as he was at home, John defeated in battle the enemies of the Empire and made it once again feared by them.

John was killed, accidentally, while hunting boar.

MANUEL I (1143 - 1180)

ALEXIUS II COMNENUS(1180 - 1183)

Alexius II was ten years of age when he came to the throne. His short reign was a time of conspiracy and bitter civil between his mother Mary, and his sister (also called Mary). Alexius side was taken by his cousin Andronicus who defeated the faction of his sister and restored the public order and tranquillity.

A few months after Alexius' coronation, Andronicus took over all the reins of government, imprisoned, and then strangled Alexius' mother. Shortly afterwards, Alexius himself was strangled with a bowstring.

Alexius was the last of the true Comnenian dynasty.

ANDRONICUS I (1183 - 1185)

ISAAC II (1185 - 1195)

Idle and profligate, Isaac lost Cyprus, and Bulgaria from that which remained of the Eastern Empire. Like Manuel I before him he actively conspired with the Moslems against the Franks who led the schismatic Christian armies of the third (?) crusade. Eventually, in 1195, Isaac was deposed and blinded by his brother, Alexius III.

ALEXIUS III (1195 - 1203)

ALEXIUS V (1203 - 1204)

BALDWIN I (1204 - 1205 )

Theodore Laskaris (1204-1222)

After the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204, three states were formed: the empire of Nicaea, the despotate of Epiros and the empire of the Komnenoi with its capital at Trebizond. It was the empire of Nicaea, however, that was the legitimate successor to the Byzantine empire, at not only the political, but also the religious and cultural level. The court of Theodore Laskaris at Nicaea, almost on the outskirts of Constantinople, began to attract teachers, men of letters and figures from the intellectual world of Byzantium, and thereby carried on the movement for the revival of letters and educational and culture more generally.

HENRY (1205 - 1216)

ROBERT (1221? - 1228?)

JOHN (1229 - 1237?)

BALDWIN II (1237 - 1261)

MICHAEL VIII (1261 - 1282)

ANDRONICUS II (1282 - 1328)

ANDRONICUS III (1328 - 1341)

JOHN V (1347 - 1376 & 1379 - 1391)

ANDRONICUS IV (1376 - 1379)

MANUEL II (1391 - 1425

JOHN VIII (1425 - 1448(?))

CONSTANTINE XI (1444 - 1453)

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