Page 24 - All About History - Issue 59-17

the Byzantine empiRe

Hall of Fame

Murderous rulers

At the heart of the Byzantine Empire was a monarchy that survived on

intrigue, deception and bloodthirsty violence

Phocas
Justinian was
NoN-DyNastic c.547-610 deposed twice off
Phocas was a member of the army during the of the Byzantine
reign of Emperor Maurice. A bloody military throne
revolt against Maurice led to his execution and
as a vocal opponent of the emperor, Phocas
was crowned as the new ruler. Civil war ensued
and aristocratic landowners were angered
as Phocas stripped them of their power and
Little is
known about influence. There were revolts all over the
Phocas’ life empire as factions sprung up determined to
before the remove the usurper. Constantinople was seized
military revolt
and Phocas was promptly beheaded.

JustInIan II

HeracliaN DyNasty c.668-711
Justinian’s reign was chaotic to say the least. After years
of heavy taxation and conflict with the Church, he was
deposed in 695. Justinian was mutilated in an attempt to
stop him from regaining the throne, by having his nose cut
off. This led to his moniker, ‘rhinotmetos’ (‘slit-nosed’), and
he supposedly wore a gold prosthetic. The former emperor
plotted his return while in exile, seeking the help of the
Khazars, and he was restored to the throne in 705. Cruel
and repressive, Justinian only ruled for six years before he
was deposed again and executed outside Constantinople.
Irene

isauriaN DyNasty c.752-803 BasIl I MaceDoNiaN DyNasty 811-86
Irene was thrust into a power when Though from humble origins, Basil earned the friendship and
she became regent for her son, patronage of Emperor
Constantine VI, after her husband’s Michael III, who eventually Basil I had
sudden death in 780. She developed crowned him co-emperor. the ultimate
rise with
a taste for power and refused to Basil was a great manipulator his rags-to-
relinquish control to her son for many and committed a series of riches story
years, who finally declared himself murders to clear his path to
emperor in 790. Popular support Irene’s thirst for Although she the throne. When he sensed
power led to
allowed Irene to become Constantine’s her betraying reigned as a regent that Michael’s favour for
co-ruler in 792 and by 797 she had her own son him was waning, he brutally
successfully deposed him. Irene even and co-emperor murdered the emperor and
had Constantine blinded to prevent him from beforehand, Irene was his relatives. As ruler, he
returning to power. However, Irene’s desire to the first female to rule oversaw a series of conquests
rule alone and refusal to remarry ultimately led that turned the Byzantine
to her downfall and deposition in 802. She died the Byzantine Empire Empire into the most
impoverished one year later. entirely by herself dominant power in Europe.

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