So of the choices listed, who would be your favorite Basileus?

Basilios II Bulgaroctonos. I hate Justinian because he's been the ruin of Italy; but Basilios was the greatest because in a difficult moment for the empire he restored the strenght of Constantinople in Europe destroying the Bulgar kingdoms and defending the empire from the Islamic attacks on the east.

Edit: However, I can't forget that during the reign of Justinian the Corpus Juris civilis was released.

Julian th eapostate; if he had not tried to conqoure persia, he could have led to many great things

Theodora!!! :)

I am always nice to the Byzantines because of her if I meet them in C3C! :)

Besides that, she must have been an exceptional personality, even more combined with her husband Justinian.

What do you think it would have happened in case of a marriage between Irene and Charlemagne? The world, as we know it, would have been COMPLETELY different I think.

PS: Another idea for an "alternate history scenario" BTW.

My favorite Βασιλείς των Ρωμαίων are the last emperor Constantine Palaiologos , and Vasileius II Vulgaroktonos ... And of course Iulianos o Paravatis or Apostatis (Julian) ...

Adso, you skipped my choise! Ioannes Vatajes, the emperor of the early Nicaean Empire! He made the small state of Nicaea big and powerful, conquering from the Latins (and unfortunately, also from the despotat of Iperus) all the territories to Durracium. He fought feudalism and supported the poor agriculturists. He left to his hiers a big, rich and powerful state... too sad that feudalists overwhelmed someone of the later emperors and made the state feudalist again.

And, of course, Theodorus Laskaris, the previous emperor of Nicaea, who fought feudalism as well, defended succesfully Asia Minor from the crusaders and forced them to give him the castles of Mane, Mystras and Monemvasia (in Pelloponisos) by arresting one of their kings, and thereby making the despotat of Mystras, which stood more than Constantinople.

well i go with Justinian.. not because i like him personally or Theodora... but because of his general Bellisarius and also because of the incredible ambition of the empire to reconquer the west.. and also because of the contribution to law and of course the Hagia Sophia
he really goes down into history as one of the greats... but then again im more interested in what was happening as a whole during his period of rule then him personally

Justinian. He was the only emperor who was able to regain at least some of the western territory and who made the Corpus Iuris Civilis, the nearly only source of Roman Law. He was the last real Roman emperor.

Adler

Ioannes Vatajes, the emperor of the early Nicaean Empire! He made the small state of Nicaea big and powerful, conquering from the Latins (and unfortunately, also from the despotat of Iperus) all the territories to Durracium. He fought feudalism and supported the poor agriculturists. He left to his hiers a big, rich and powerful state... too sad that feudalists overwhelmed someone of the later emperors and made the state feudalist again.

That was one of the subjects of our summer History tests of B' Lyceum ... :mad: Arghhh ...

I get why Italians would hate Justinian - but the alternative to him was much worse. The Ostrogothic king he attacked would have done far worse if left to himself. Anyway, I reckon Basil II Bulger-Slayer is hard to beat.

That was one of the subjects of our summer History tests of B' Lyceum ... :mad: Arghhh ...
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