Basil II

Basil II was the son of Romanos II, who died in 963, leaving the throne to two generals, Nikephoros Phokas and John Tzimiskes, who ruled until 976. Basil became the senior emperor after the death of Tzimiskes, but he had to face the opposition of the powerful Anatolian aristocracy, led by Bardas Skleros and Bardas Phokas. He defeated them with the help of Vladimir I of Kiev, who married his sister Anna and converted to Christianity. Basil then focused on expanding the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire, conquering Armenia, Georgia, and parts of Mesopotamia. He also waged a long and brutal war against the First Bulgarian Empire, which he finally subdued in 1018, earning him the nickname of the Bulgar-Slayer. He made a truce with the Fatimid Caliphate in 987-988, and later renewed it in 1000. Basil was also a capable administrator, who reformed the tax system, the army, and the bureaucracy, reducing the power and wealth of the landed aristocracy and the church. He filled the treasury with gold and left the empire with its greatest territorial extent in four centuries. He died in 1025, without a male heir, and was succeeded by his brother Constantine VIII. Basil is regarded as one of the greatest Byzantine emperors, and a national hero in Greece, but a hated figure in Bulgaria.