Basil II
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Basil II Porphyrogenitus, given the epithet the Bulgar Slayer, was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025. He and his brother Constantine VIII were crowned before their father Romanos II died i
Restored depiction of Basil II from his Menologion, National Historical Museum, Athens
Clash between the armies of Bardas Skleros and Bardas Phokas at Pankaleia, miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes.
The Armenian prince Gregory Taronites is ambushed by the Bulgarians near Thessalonica.
Byzantine victory over the Bulgarians at the Battle of Kleidion, from the Madrid Skylitzes
Byzantine Empire
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The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the fall of
Basil II
…ended shortly after Phokas' death and Skleros' submission in 989. Basil then oversaw the stabilization and expansion of the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire and the complete subjugation of the First Bulgarian Empire, its foremost European foe, after a long struggle. Although the Byzantines had made a truce…
Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He founded the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul) and made it the capital of the Empire, which it remained for over a millennium.
The Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, very important during the 717–718 siege
Gold solidus of Leo III (left) and his son and heir, Constantine V (right)
The seizure of Edessa (1031) by the Byzantines under George Maniakes and the counterattack by the Seljuk Turks