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From Charlemagne to his Ottonian successors, the so-called Holy Roman Emperors in the West endeavored to rekindle the imperial flame that was once ancient Rome. From the perspective of the so-called Eastern Roman Empire, however, that torch was never extinguished in the first place. Byzantine Emperors considered themselves the sole legitimate inheritors of Roman title and law ever since Constantine I relocated the imperial capital to Constantinople. This continuity was never more fiercely demonstrated than under the rule of Basil II (958–1025 AD), a brilliant, ascetic, and utterly ruthless military monarch who brought the Byzantine Empire to its zenith. Basil II stands out as the empire's ultimate defender, and his famous cognomen —
Bulgaroktonos, or the “Bulgar Slayer” — attests to the terrifying scale of his brutality in preserving the Roman state.
Basil II's reign was defined by his single-minded dedication to crushing the First Bulgarian Empire, which had long encroached upon the Balkan territories, a vital piece of the ancient Roman map. Over nearly forty years, Basil personally led constant, grueling campaigns against the Bulgarians and their formidable Tsar Samuel. The Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars were not mere border skirmishes; they were existential struggles for control of Southeast Europe and corridor between Rome and Constantinople. To this end, the Byzantine forces maintained the resources and perseverance to keep fighting until the enemy was completely broken. Through sheer iron will, Basil II ushered in a new golden age for the Byzantine Empire as the premier superpower in the eastern Mediterranean basin.
Basil I earned his grim nickname after the Battle of Kleidion in 1014 AD. The Byzantine troops decisively routed the main Bulgarian army. In the aftermath, Basil I reportedly carried out one of the most infamously barbaric acts of medieval warfare, and that’s saying something. He captured an estimated 15,000 Bulgarian prisoners, whom he divided into groups of 100. He then ordered that 99 men in each group be blinded, leaving a single, one-eyed man in each century to lead his blinded comrades home. When the blinded soldiers eventually reached Tsar Samuel, the shock and horror reportedly caused the Tsar to suffer a fatal stroke. This act, while horrifying, achieved Basil's objective: it entirely demoralized the remaining Bulgarian resistance and earned the Byzantine emperor a legacy of fear that secured the Balkans for over a century.
Even if the historical accounts of Bulgar Slayer’s brutality were exaggerated, they still testify to a reputation for ruthlessly defending Constantinople’s throne. Notably, Basil II reigned for a staggering 66 years. For the last five decades of that period, he ruled as the sole Byzantine Emperor, a decade longer than the previous record set by none other than Augustus himself. For the first sixteen years of his rule, Basil II co-ruled with some of his fellow Macedonian dynasts.
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The various imperial structures over Basil II’s reign are know from various sources include ancient coinage. The silver miliaresion is one such example. It was struck in the name both Basil II and his brother Constantine VIII. Accordingly, this coin was struck sometime between 977 and 989 when two brothers ruled Byzantine co-Emperors. The Obverse features the crowned, facing busts of Basil II (on the left, wearing the loros, a ceremonial mantle) and Constantine VIII (on the right, wearing the chlamys). They flank a central Cross Crosslet set upon steps, referencing the Crux Triumphalis and the divine foundation of the Eastern Empire. The Greek obverse inscription defiantly proclaims “In this sign may Basil and Constantine conquer,” a famous Byzantine motto dating back to Constantine I himself. The reverse contains a defiant proclamation in five lines: Basil and Constantine, Porphyrogennetos, Faithful Emperors of the Romans. This inscription is a potent statement of legitimacy, asserting their birth in the imperial purple (
Porphyrogennetos) and their status as the true, faithful rulers of the Romans (
Basileus Romaion).
To this end, Basil II's achievements were quintessentially Roman in their scope, He expanded the empire to its largest extent since the Arab-Byzantine Wars. He filled the imperial treasury. He secured his realm’s borders. Finally, he left behind a stable administration to be passed back ti his brother. Above all, Basil II maintained his empire’s position as the dominant power of the Mediterranean world. Had he lived a bit longer, it is feasible that he would have succeeded in defeating his next target, the Normans in southern Italy, with the objective to resurrect Byzantine power in the West.
Tis coin and Basil II’s fearful nickname demonstrate that while Rome in the West had become a fractured ideal, the Byzatine Empire remained a unified, intimidating reality, built on the singular, uncompromising will of its emperor
Coin Details: BYZANTINE, Basil II Bulgaroktonos, with Constantine VIII\, 976-1025 AD, AR Miliaresion (23mm, 2.25 g, 6h), Constantinople mint. Struck 977-989, NGC Grade: CH XF, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 3/5, Obverse: Cross crosslet, with central saltire; set upon globe on four steps; flanking to left and right respectively, crowned facing busts of Basil, wearing loros, and Constantine, wearing chlamys, ЄҺ TOVTω ҺICAT' ЬASILЄI C CωҺST', Reverse: +bASIL C CWNSTAN PORFVROG PISTOI bAS' ROMAIW' in five lines, ornaments of varying form above and below, References: DOC 17a; SB 1810.
Image: NGC Photo Vision Plus.