Basil I rose from humble origins to become an emperor’s favourite—then seized the Byzantine throne through betrayal and bloodshed. Michael Goodyear traces his extraordinary ascent and the dynasty built on the murder of Michael III.
By Michael Goodyear
The Byzantine Empire was no stranger to plots and scandals. Revolts and coups were the order of the day. Family members turned on each other with regularity, and sex, poison, and foreign adventurers filled the court. Thirty-eight of the Byzantine emperors and empresses ended their reigns in tragedy, whether through death in battle, an accident, execution, murder, exile, or deposition.
One of the most remarkable stories was the murder of Michael III (r. 842–867) and the rise of Basil I (r. 867–886). Basil rose from peasant to imperial groom to Michael’s trusted and intimate friend before ultimately obtaining the imperial crown for himself through intrigue and bloodshed.
A Peasant’s Path to the Palace
A young Basil at the court of Omurtag of Bulgaria as depicted in the Madrid Skylitzes
Basil was born to a poor family, probably of Armenian origin, living in the town of Charioupolis near Adrianople (present-day Edirne, Turkey) in the region of Byzantine Macedonia. It is likely that his parents had been captured in a raid by the Bulgar khan Krum (r. c. 803–814) and were only returned to Byzantium during the reign of Krum’s son and successor, Omurtag (r. 814–831). Basil grew up inside this peasant household in the provinces, far from the wealth of Constantinople.
Despite the hardships of his early life, Basil survived and decided to seek his fortune in the great Byzantine capital of Constantinople, as would many other ambitious young men from across the empire. In the city, he began to attract attention for his great strength, tall stature, and unique ability to tame even the wildest horses. His skill with horses came from his rural upbringing, as he grew up with these animals. A noble soon brought Basil into his retinue as a groom. Eventually, his horse-taming talent became so well known that Emperor Michael III brought Basil into his service as a stable boy.
Already, Basil seemed destined for great things. In addition to imperial service, he also gained an important benefactor in the wealthy widow Danielis, one of the greatest landowners in the Peloponnese in Greece. A monk had told Danielis that he had foreseen that Basil would one day be emperor. When Danielis met Basil, she gave the young man land and gold, which helped him improve his social standing. She would remain an important supporter of Basil’s throughout his life.
The Emperor’s Favourite
Basil’s primary benefactor, Michael, was hardly one of the most one of the most distinguished emperors. A porphyrogenitus, or “purple-born” prince born to a sitting emperor, Michael started life in circumstances directly opposite to Basil’s. But despite a wealth of opportunities, Michael did not achieve what he should have. Although he had some talent as a military leader, today Michael is known as “the drunkard,” suggesting that drinking was his primary pastime. While Michael’s weak character and love of drink would have otherwise presented a crisis of leadership, as he came to the throne when he was merely two years old, he was accustomed to having a cadre of individuals who ruled the empire in his stead, including his mother, Theodora, and later his uncle, Bardas.
Michael quickly developed an intimate relationship with Basil, his new young stable boy. Basil soon rose from the stables to the palace itself. Basil and Michael were close in age, as at this point Basil was also referred to as a boy (agouron) and junior (neoteron) in the sources, and the two became close friends. Basil’s position at court swiftly rose until eventually Michael appointed Basil to the position of parakoimomenos, or head chamberlain. The title literally translates to “he who sleeps beside [the emperor].”
Basil I depicted in the Madrid Skylitzes
Basil’s proximity to Michael’s bed gave rise to two rumours. The first, which is certainly true, is that Michael forced Basil to marry his mistress. Michael had been in love with Eudokia Ingerina, the daughter of a Viking residing in Constantinople. She was already Michael’s mistress, but his mother strongly disapproved of the match. So instead, Theodora held an imperial bride show, bringing the most beautiful and promising women to the court to choose the future empress, ultimately betrothing Michael to Eudokia Dekapolitissa. But by having his close friend Basil marry Ingerina, Michael could continue to see her without too much difficulty. In exchange, Michael’s sister, Thekla, became Basil’s mistress. These relationships lasted throughout Michael’s lifetime, and Michael possibly even fathered one of Basil’s children, the future Emperor Leo VI (r. 886–912); although this was unlikely, it was rumoured that Basil was suspicious that the boy was not his.
The other rumour, for which there is less evidence, was that Michael and Basil were engaged in a homosexual relationship. This could have very well been true. Michael’s love for Ingerina does not rule out the possibility that he was bisexual. The title of parakoimomenos was usually held by a eunuch, so it was rather unusual for a young, strong man such as Basil to be given the position. However, unlike the ample support in the sources for the arrangement regarding Ingerina, the allegation of a same-sex relationship appears to have been an attempt to discredit Basil rather than an established fact. But we will likely never know the true extent of the two men’s relationship.
Removing a Rival
Due to their close relationship, Basil became the most trusted confidant of the emperor. But while Michael was the emperor, his uncle Bardas continued to ably run the empire. Under Bardas’ watch, the Byzantine Empire was experiencing a golden age. Byzantine armies were victorious in the East, and a coterie of learned men such as Leo the Mathematician and Photios were pushing Byzantine scholarship and culture to new heights. In fact, Byzantium was achieving more success than at practically any time since the reigns of Heraclius (r. 610–641) and Justinian (r. 527–565) over two centuries earlier.
But while he had greatly benefitted the empire, Bardas posed a potential risk to Michael, and thus to Basil as well. Basil started to convince Michael that Bardas viewed him with contempt and was plotting to overthrow him. Undoubtedly, Bardas viewed Michael as weak and vacillating, so much so that he did not really consider Michael a threat. But Michael was still the emperor, and Bardas’ lack of concern or overconfidence would be his undoing. Basil convinced Michael that Bardas had to go.
In 866, while the three men were embarking with the imperial fleet for a campaign against Crete, Basil slew Bardas with his own hand before the emperor’s eyes. Just a month later, Michael crowned Basil, the former peasant, his co-basileus, his co-emperor.
Betraying the Emperor
The murder of Michael III and the proclamation of Basil I as the new emperor, as depicted in the Madrid Skylitzes
Basil had climbed almost to the top of the Byzantine social ladder, but Michael was still the senior emperor. Michael could have allowed Basil to manage the empire while he imbibed, as had been the modus operandi with Bardas. But now that he had a taste of freedom as the ruler after 24 years of being in the background, Michael decided not only to reign but also to rule. However, Michael’s love of drink had made him a fickle and cruel person, and his court was a chaotic den of apprehension and instability. His unstable temperament made others wary around him, and nobles and servants alike were doubtful that their favour would last. Even Basil started to have concerns and decided that Michael had to be removed.
At Basil’s direction, a group of conspirators entered the imperial bedchamber on 24 September 867. Naturally, Basil had special access as the parakoimomenos. The group included Basil’s closest confidants: his friends, his brothers, and a cousin. While Michael slept after an imperial banquet, the assassins entered his bedchamber and brutally murdered him. Michael’s corpse was soon found by members of the court, and Basil, now the only basileus, was raised to the imperial throne. The murder, although not the only one to visit the imperial bedchamber over the centuries, was one of the most brutal in Byzantine history, the culmination of Basil’s blood-strewn path from peasant to emperor.
A Dynasty Born in Blood
Given that Basil had murdered both the de facto ruler and the emperor of Byzantium within two years, it would seem reasonable to expect the Byzantine Empire to have declined under the leadership of the illiterate former peasant. But the fortunes of Byzantium only grew. At his death in 886, Basil left the empire in a much stronger position than when he began his reign twenty years earlier. Under his sons and other descendants, the empire reached its greatest territorial extent since the rise of Islam in the seventh century. Byzantium’s coffers grew, its international prestige reached its zenith, and its borders ultimately stretched from southern Italy to Armenia, and from the Crimea to Syria.
Basil also inaugurated the greatest dynasty in Byzantine history, the Macedonian dynasty. His family would rule Byzantium for nearly two centuries until his great-great-great-granddaughter Theodora (r. 1055–1056) passed away peacefully while still on the throne. The dynasty would look back at Basil as the founder of this great house, even if it was born of a cold-blooded murder. But a brutal rise to power was not uncommon in Byzantium; Michael III’s grandfather Michael II (r. 820–829) had risen to the throne following the gruesome slaughter of Leo V (r. 813–820) in a church on Christmas Day.
Basil’s son and grandson, Leo VI and Constantine VII, even seemed to somewhat praise their ancestor’s humble origins as a man of the people. Perhaps these lowborn origins helped the Macedonian dynasty recover from the brink of collapse many times over the next two centuries. While succession by blood was not the rule in Byzantium, the people of the empire became incredibly loyal to the Macedonian dynasty, steadfastly holding up the family of Basil as their emperors and empresses.
Michael Goodyear is a lawyer in New York. He has a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and an A.B. in History and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, where he specialised in Byzantine history. He has been published in a variety of academic and general-interest publications on history and law, including ANTIQVVS and World History Encyclopedia, as well as law journals at Harvard, Stanford, and Vanderbilt.
Further Readings:
Ševčenko, Ihor, translator. Chronographiae Quae Theophanis Continuati Nomine Fertur Liber Quo Vita Basilii Imperatoris Amplectitur. De Gruyter, 2011.
Jenkins, Romilly. Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, AD 610–1071. University of Toronto Press, 1987.
Norman, Tobias. Basil I, Founder of the Macedonian Dynasty: A Study of the Political and Military History of the Byzantine Empire in the Ninth Century. Edwin Mellen Press, 2007.
Top Image: Basil I depicted in the Homily of Saint Gregory the Theologian (Paris Gregory, MS Gr. 510 fol. Bv)
Basil I rose from humble origins to become an emperor’s favourite—then seized the Byzantine throne through betrayal and bloodshed. Michael Goodyear traces his extraordinary ascent and the dynasty built on the murder of Michael III.
By Michael Goodyear
The Byzantine Empire was no stranger to plots and scandals. Revolts and coups were the order of the day. Family members turned on each other with regularity, and sex, poison, and foreign adventurers filled the court. Thirty-eight of the Byzantine emperors and empresses ended their reigns in tragedy, whether through death in battle, an accident, execution, murder, exile, or deposition.
One of the most remarkable stories was the murder of Michael III (r. 842–867) and the rise of Basil I (r. 867–886). Basil rose from peasant to imperial groom to Michael’s trusted and intimate friend before ultimately obtaining the imperial crown for himself through intrigue and bloodshed.
A Peasant’s Path to the Palace
Basil was born to a poor family, probably of Armenian origin, living in the town of Charioupolis near Adrianople (present-day Edirne, Turkey) in the region of Byzantine Macedonia. It is likely that his parents had been captured in a raid by the Bulgar khan Krum (r. c. 803–814) and were only returned to Byzantium during the reign of Krum’s son and successor, Omurtag (r. 814–831). Basil grew up inside this peasant household in the provinces, far from the wealth of Constantinople.
Despite the hardships of his early life, Basil survived and decided to seek his fortune in the great Byzantine capital of Constantinople, as would many other ambitious young men from across the empire. In the city, he began to attract attention for his great strength, tall stature, and unique ability to tame even the wildest horses. His skill with horses came from his rural upbringing, as he grew up with these animals. A noble soon brought Basil into his retinue as a groom. Eventually, his horse-taming talent became so well known that Emperor Michael III brought Basil into his service as a stable boy.
Already, Basil seemed destined for great things. In addition to imperial service, he also gained an important benefactor in the wealthy widow Danielis, one of the greatest landowners in the Peloponnese in Greece. A monk had told Danielis that he had foreseen that Basil would one day be emperor. When Danielis met Basil, she gave the young man land and gold, which helped him improve his social standing. She would remain an important supporter of Basil’s throughout his life.
The Emperor’s Favourite
Basil’s primary benefactor, Michael, was hardly one of the most one of the most distinguished emperors. A porphyrogenitus, or “purple-born” prince born to a sitting emperor, Michael started life in circumstances directly opposite to Basil’s. But despite a wealth of opportunities, Michael did not achieve what he should have. Although he had some talent as a military leader, today Michael is known as “the drunkard,” suggesting that drinking was his primary pastime. While Michael’s weak character and love of drink would have otherwise presented a crisis of leadership, as he came to the throne when he was merely two years old, he was accustomed to having a cadre of individuals who ruled the empire in his stead, including his mother, Theodora, and later his uncle, Bardas.
Michael quickly developed an intimate relationship with Basil, his new young stable boy. Basil soon rose from the stables to the palace itself. Basil and Michael were close in age, as at this point Basil was also referred to as a boy (agouron) and junior (neoteron) in the sources, and the two became close friends. Basil’s position at court swiftly rose until eventually Michael appointed Basil to the position of parakoimomenos, or head chamberlain. The title literally translates to “he who sleeps beside [the emperor].”
Basil’s proximity to Michael’s bed gave rise to two rumours. The first, which is certainly true, is that Michael forced Basil to marry his mistress. Michael had been in love with Eudokia Ingerina, the daughter of a Viking residing in Constantinople. She was already Michael’s mistress, but his mother strongly disapproved of the match. So instead, Theodora held an imperial bride show, bringing the most beautiful and promising women to the court to choose the future empress, ultimately betrothing Michael to Eudokia Dekapolitissa. But by having his close friend Basil marry Ingerina, Michael could continue to see her without too much difficulty. In exchange, Michael’s sister, Thekla, became Basil’s mistress. These relationships lasted throughout Michael’s lifetime, and Michael possibly even fathered one of Basil’s children, the future Emperor Leo VI (r. 886–912); although this was unlikely, it was rumoured that Basil was suspicious that the boy was not his.
The other rumour, for which there is less evidence, was that Michael and Basil were engaged in a homosexual relationship. This could have very well been true. Michael’s love for Ingerina does not rule out the possibility that he was bisexual. The title of parakoimomenos was usually held by a eunuch, so it was rather unusual for a young, strong man such as Basil to be given the position. However, unlike the ample support in the sources for the arrangement regarding Ingerina, the allegation of a same-sex relationship appears to have been an attempt to discredit Basil rather than an established fact. But we will likely never know the true extent of the two men’s relationship.
Removing a Rival
Due to their close relationship, Basil became the most trusted confidant of the emperor. But while Michael was the emperor, his uncle Bardas continued to ably run the empire. Under Bardas’ watch, the Byzantine Empire was experiencing a golden age. Byzantine armies were victorious in the East, and a coterie of learned men such as Leo the Mathematician and Photios were pushing Byzantine scholarship and culture to new heights. In fact, Byzantium was achieving more success than at practically any time since the reigns of Heraclius (r. 610–641) and Justinian (r. 527–565) over two centuries earlier.
But while he had greatly benefitted the empire, Bardas posed a potential risk to Michael, and thus to Basil as well. Basil started to convince Michael that Bardas viewed him with contempt and was plotting to overthrow him. Undoubtedly, Bardas viewed Michael as weak and vacillating, so much so that he did not really consider Michael a threat. But Michael was still the emperor, and Bardas’ lack of concern or overconfidence would be his undoing. Basil convinced Michael that Bardas had to go.
In 866, while the three men were embarking with the imperial fleet for a campaign against Crete, Basil slew Bardas with his own hand before the emperor’s eyes. Just a month later, Michael crowned Basil, the former peasant, his co-basileus, his co-emperor.
Betraying the Emperor
Basil had climbed almost to the top of the Byzantine social ladder, but Michael was still the senior emperor. Michael could have allowed Basil to manage the empire while he imbibed, as had been the modus operandi with Bardas. But now that he had a taste of freedom as the ruler after 24 years of being in the background, Michael decided not only to reign but also to rule. However, Michael’s love of drink had made him a fickle and cruel person, and his court was a chaotic den of apprehension and instability. His unstable temperament made others wary around him, and nobles and servants alike were doubtful that their favour would last. Even Basil started to have concerns and decided that Michael had to be removed.
At Basil’s direction, a group of conspirators entered the imperial bedchamber on 24 September 867. Naturally, Basil had special access as the parakoimomenos. The group included Basil’s closest confidants: his friends, his brothers, and a cousin. While Michael slept after an imperial banquet, the assassins entered his bedchamber and brutally murdered him. Michael’s corpse was soon found by members of the court, and Basil, now the only basileus, was raised to the imperial throne. The murder, although not the only one to visit the imperial bedchamber over the centuries, was one of the most brutal in Byzantine history, the culmination of Basil’s blood-strewn path from peasant to emperor.
A Dynasty Born in Blood
Given that Basil had murdered both the de facto ruler and the emperor of Byzantium within two years, it would seem reasonable to expect the Byzantine Empire to have declined under the leadership of the illiterate former peasant. But the fortunes of Byzantium only grew. At his death in 886, Basil left the empire in a much stronger position than when he began his reign twenty years earlier. Under his sons and other descendants, the empire reached its greatest territorial extent since the rise of Islam in the seventh century. Byzantium’s coffers grew, its international prestige reached its zenith, and its borders ultimately stretched from southern Italy to Armenia, and from the Crimea to Syria.
Basil also inaugurated the greatest dynasty in Byzantine history, the Macedonian dynasty. His family would rule Byzantium for nearly two centuries until his great-great-great-granddaughter Theodora (r. 1055–1056) passed away peacefully while still on the throne. The dynasty would look back at Basil as the founder of this great house, even if it was born of a cold-blooded murder. But a brutal rise to power was not uncommon in Byzantium; Michael III’s grandfather Michael II (r. 820–829) had risen to the throne following the gruesome slaughter of Leo V (r. 813–820) in a church on Christmas Day.
Basil’s son and grandson, Leo VI and Constantine VII, even seemed to somewhat praise their ancestor’s humble origins as a man of the people. Perhaps these lowborn origins helped the Macedonian dynasty recover from the brink of collapse many times over the next two centuries. While succession by blood was not the rule in Byzantium, the people of the empire became incredibly loyal to the Macedonian dynasty, steadfastly holding up the family of Basil as their emperors and empresses.
Michael Goodyear is a lawyer in New York. He has a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and an A.B. in History and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, where he specialised in Byzantine history. He has been published in a variety of academic and general-interest publications on history and law, including ANTIQVVS and World History Encyclopedia, as well as law journals at Harvard, Stanford, and Vanderbilt.
Further Readings:
Ševčenko, Ihor, translator. Chronographiae Quae Theophanis Continuati Nomine Fertur Liber Quo Vita Basilii Imperatoris Amplectitur. De Gruyter, 2011.
Jenkins, Romilly. Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, AD 610–1071. University of Toronto Press, 1987.
Norman, Tobias. Basil I, Founder of the Macedonian Dynasty: A Study of the Political and Military History of the Byzantine Empire in the Ninth Century. Edwin Mellen Press, 2007.
Top Image: Basil I depicted in the Homily of Saint Gregory the Theologian (Paris Gregory, MS Gr. 510 fol. Bv)
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