List of Byzantine Emperors - Macedonian Dynasty (867–1056)

Macedonian Dynasty (867–1056)

See also: Macedonian dynasty and Byzantine Empire under the Macedonian dynasty

	Reign	Comments
Basil I "the Macedonian" (Βασίλειος Α΄ ο Μακεδών)	867 – 2 August 886	Born in the Theme of Macedonia ca. 811, he rose in prominence through palace service, becoming a favourite of Michael III. He overthrew Michael and established the Macedonian dynasty. He led successful wars in the East against the Arabs and the Paulicians, and recovered southern Italy for the Empire.
Leo VI "the Wise" (Λέων ΣΤ΄ ο Σοφός)	886 – 11 May 912	Born on 19 September 866, likely either son of Basil I or Michael III, Leo was known for his erudition. His reign saw a height in Saracen naval raids, culminating in the Sack of Thessalonica, and was marked by unsuccessful wars against the Bulgarians under Simeon I.
Alexander (III) (Αλέξανδρος Γ΄)	11 May 912 – 6 June 913	Son of Basil I, Alexander was born in 870 and raised to co-emperor in 879. Sidelined by Leo VI, Alexander dismissed his brother's principal aides on his accession. He died of exhaustion after a polo game.
Constantine VII "the Purple-born" (Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ ο Πορφυρογέννητος)	6 June 913 – 9 November 959	The son of Leo VI, he was born on 17/18 May 905 and raised to co-emperor on 15 May 908. His early reign was dominated by successive regencies, first by his mother, Zoe Karbonopsina, and Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, and from 919 by the admiral Romanos Lekapenos, who wedded his daughter to Constantine and was crowned senior emperor in 920. Constantine was sidelined during the Lekapenos regime, but asserted his control by deposing Romanos's sons in early 945. His reign was marked by struggles with Sayf al-Dawla in the East and an unsuccessful campaign against Crete, and pro-aristocratic policies that saw a partial reversal of Lekapenos' legislation against the dynatoi. He is notable for his promotion of the "Macedonian Renaissance", sponsoring encyclopaedic works and histories. He was a prolific writer himself, best remembered for the manuals on statecraft (De administrando imperio) and ceremonies (De ceremoniis) he compiled for his son, Romanos II.
Romanos I Lekapenos (Ρωμανός Α΄ Λεκαπηνός)	17 December 920 – 16 December 944	An admiral of lowly origin, Romanos rose to power as a protector of the young Constantine VII against the general Leo Phokas the Elder. After becoming the emperor's father-in-law, he successively assumed higher offices until he crowned himself senior emperor. His reign was marked by the end of warfare with Bulgaria and the great conquests of John Kourkouas in the East. Romanos promoted his sons Christopher, Stephen and Constantine as co-emperors over Constantine VII, but was himself overthrown by the latter two and confined to an island as a monk. He died there on 15 June 948.
Romanos II "the Purple-born" (Ρωμανός Β΄ ο Πορφυρογέννητος)	9 November 959 – 15 March 963	The only surviving son of Constantine VII, he was born on 15 March 938 and succeeded his father on the latter's death. He ruled until his death, although the government was led mostly by the eunuch Joseph Bringas. The reign is marked by successful warfare in the East against Sayf al-Dawla and the recovery of Crete by general Nikephoros Phokas.
Nikephoros II Phokas (Νικηφόρος Β΄ Φωκάς)	16 August 963 – 11 December 969	The most successful general of his generation, Nikephoros II was born ca. 912 to the powerful Phokas clan. After Romanos II's death, he rose to the throne with the support of army and people as regent for the young emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, and married the empress-dowager Theophano. Throughout his reign he led campaigns in the East, conquering much of Syria. He was murdered by his nephew and one-time associate John Tzimiskes.
John I Tzimiskes (Iωάννης Α΄ Κουρκούας ο Τσιμισκής)	11 December 969 – 10 January 976	Nephew of Nikephoros Phokas, Tzimiskes was born ca. 925. A successful general, he fell out with his uncle, and led a conspiracy of disgruntled generals who murdered him. Tzimiskes succeeded Nikephoros as emperor and regent for the young sons of Romanos II. As ruler, Tzimiskes crushed the Rus' in Bulgaria and ended the Bulgarian tsardom, before going on to campaign in the East, where he died.
Basil II "the Bulgar-Slayer" (Βασίλειος Β΄ ο Βουλγαροκτόνος)	10 January 976 – 15 December 1025	Eldest son of Romanos II, Basil was born in 958. The first decade of his reign was marked by the rivalry with the powerful Basil Lekapenos, an unsuccessful war against Bulgaria an rebellions by generals in Asia Minor. Basil solidified his position through a marriage alliance with Vladimir I of Kiev, and after suppressing the revolts embarked on his conquest of Bulgaria. Bulgaria was finally subdued in 1018 after over 20 years of war, interrupted only by sporadic warfare in Syria against the Fatimids. Basil also expanded Byzantine control over most of Armenia. His reign is widely considered as the apogee of medieval Byzantium.
Constantine VIII "the Purple-born" (Κωνσταντίνος Η΄ ο Πορφυρογέννητος)	15 December 1025 – 15 November 1028	The second son of Romanos II, Constantine was born in 960 and raised to co-emperor in March 962. During the rule of Basil II, he spent his time in idle pleasure. During his short reign he was an indifferent ruler, easily influenced by his courtiers and suspicious of plots to depose him, especially among the military aristocracy, many of whom were blinded and exiled. On his deathbed, he chose Romanos Argyros as husband for his daughter Zoe.
Zoe "the Purple-born" (Ζωή η Πορφυρογέννητη)	15 November 1028 – June 1050	The daughter of Constantine VIII, she succeeded on her father's death, as the only surviving member of the Macedonian dynasty, along with her sister Theodora. Her three husbands, Romanos III (1028–1034), Michael IV (1034–1041) and Constantine IX (1042–1050) ruled alongside her.
Romanos III Argyros (Ρωμανός Γ΄ Αργυρός)	15 November 1028 – 11 April 1034	Born in 968, the elderly aristocrat Romanos was chosen by Constantine VII on his deathbed as Zoe's husband and succeeded on the throne after Constantine's death a few days later.
Michael IV "the Paphlagonian" (Μιχαήλ Δ΄ ο Παφλαγών)	11 April 1034 – 10 December 1041	Born in 1010, he became a lover of Zoe even while Romanos III was alive, and succeeded him upon his death as her husband and emperor. Aided by his older brother, the eunuch John the Orphanotrophos, his reign was moderately successful against internal rebellions, but his attempt to recover Sicily failed. He died after a long illness.
Michael V "the Caulker" (Μιχαήλ Ε΄ ο Καλαφάτης)	10 December 1041 – 20 April 1042	Born in 1015, he was the nephew and adopted son of Michael IV. During his reign he tried to sideline Zoe, but a popular revolt forced him to restore her as empress on 19 April 1042, along with her sister Theodora. He was deposed the next day, castrated and tonsured, dying on 24 August 1042.
Theodora (Θεοδώρα)	19 April 1042 – after 31 August 1056	The younger sister of Zoe, born in 984, she was raised as co-ruler on 19 April 1042. After Zoe married her third husband, Constantine XI, in June, Theodora was again sidelined, but after Constantine died in 1055 (with Zoe having died in 1050), she assumed full governance of the Empire and reigned until her death. She nominated Michael VI as her successor.
Constantine IX Monomachos (Κωνσταντίνος Θ΄ Μονομάχος)	11 June 1042 – 7/8 or 11 January 1055	Born ca. 1000 and of noble origin, he had an undistinguished life, but was exiled to Lesbos by Michael IV. He returned when he was chosen as Zoe's third husband. Constantine supported the mercantile classes and favoured the company of intellectuals, thereby alienating the military aristocracy. A pleasure-loving ruler, he lived an extravagant life with his favourite mistresses, and endowed a number of monasteries, chiefly the Nea Moni of Chios and the Mangana Monastery. His reign was marked by invasions by the Pechenegs in the Balkans and the Seljuk Turks in the East, the revolts of George Maniakes and Leo Tornikios, and the Great Schism between the patriarchates of Rome and Constantinople.