Hello, my name is Tom Daley, host of American Biography. My podcast tries to tell the story

of the United States through the lives of the individuals who helped shape American history,

but are less well known than they perhaps should be. For example, I'm currently covering

the life and career of Chief Justice John Marshall. While he didn't codify the laws

the way Leo the Wise did, he nevertheless wrote the book on American jurisprudence, which

has been as influential to legal practices in the United States as the Basilica will prove

to be for the Byzantines. So, after you've finished listening to the history of Byzantium,

please come and follow the course of human events with American Biography.

Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium. Episode 109. Leo the Wise.

Last time, we surveyed the imperial reign of Basil I. The stablehand who murdered

Nempra, took his place and founded a dynasty that would last for two centuries. We also met

his second son Leo, who became heir apparent when his older brother Constantine died young.

As you'll recall, Basil physically assaulted Leo when he learnt that the young man was cheating

on his wife. It wasn't the immorality which bothered Basil, it was the threat to his carefully

laid plans of succession. Leo was then accused of trying to assassinate his father twice and

spent two years in the palace under house arrest. It's interesting that these events would

echo throughout Leo's own time on the throne. His house arrest meant he spent his formative

years unable to go on campaign with his father and he never would go to war in person. Also

several attempts were made on Leo's life during his reign often authored by those closest to him.

Finally, he would go to more extreme lengths than Basil had to ensure that his son would succeed him.

Born in 866, Leo was just 19 when he became sole ruler. He would stay on the throne for the

next 26 years, making him the longest serving ruler of Byzantium since Constantine V. Constantine's

...