The History of the World Podcast, written and presented by Chris Hasler

Volume 4 The Medieval World, Episode 9, The Byzantine Empire, Part 4. Oh, you know, now. Oh, By the death of Emperor John Simiskis in 976 the Byzantine Empire was in a strong

position the Imperial throne The imperial throne

throne passed to the eldest son of the former emperor

Romanos II, whose name was Basil. At the time Basil may have only been around the age of 18 and so his uncle

called Basil Lechpinos acted as the chief minister, which was a role he had held for

almost 30 years in any case. Basil Lechapinos is therefore likely to have been a eunuch.

As the Byzantine understood in the same way that we know that the Han Chinese had done many centuries before, that a castrated

male is not able to make a dynastic overthrow of the existing dynasty, and it it would be prudent to prevent somebody so close to the ruling elite

to be able to produce potential male heirs. Basil had spent his childhood watching military leaders ruled the Byzantine Empire such as

John Sumiskas before him and Nicophoros Focass before him.

Basil grew up to become quite a military-minded young man himself,

with no great desire for education or relationships.

Basil Lekepinos would support the young emperor initially.

But as the young emperor Basil wanted to make more decisions for himself, he found that his great

uncle was stubbornly keeping the power for himself.

And so the tension between the two would reach breaking point.

The young Basil had his uncle arrested as a traitor to the empire on the grounds of plotting to overthrow

him.

Basil Lechapenos was stripped of his lands and exiled. Now the young emperor could rule on his own terms and this was

the age of Basil II., retrospectively referred to as Basil the Bulgar Slayer.

Basil the Bulger Slayer

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