1. Biography

Basil Lekapenos (or Lakapenos) was born between 910 and 920.¹ He was a member of the Lekapenos lineage, who were of Armenian origin and came from Lakape. He was the illegitimate son of the droungarios tou ploimou and future emperor Romanos I Lakapenos, while his mother’s identity is unknown; she was probably a slave of Bulgarian origin.² His status as an illegitimate son must have been an important reason for his castration at a young age.³ That way, the Lekapenoi family took away his ability to claim the throne, but also gave him the opportunity to build a career as a high administrative functionary.

The sources portray him as a powerful and assertive person, with a talent for handling the state affairs and for political manoeuvres;⁴ this is confirmed by his long career as a parakoimomenos and by his position as a close advisor of three important emperors: Nikephoros II Phokas, John I Tzimiskes and Basil II (963-1025), especially in a period of turbulent successions to the throne and political overthrows.

At the same time, Basil also excelled as a patron of art and literature, within the frame of the so-called Macedonian Renaissance.⁵ His career probably began during his father’s reign, but his role in the administration became important actually under Nikephoros II Phokas. This lasted until the end of 985, when he was stripped of his offices and exiled in the Stenon region, where he died from an apoplectic seizure.

2. Political career

2.1. 941-969

Basil Lakapenos probably began his career as a civil official during his father’s reign; the office he held at the time is not known. During the reign of Constantine VII Porphyrogennitos (945-959) he was already protobestiarios, having obtained that office probably in 941. In 948 the emperor (whose wife was Basil’s half-sister) promoted him to the office of parakoimomenos, and he received the title of patrikios. At the time, he practically managed all state affairs, greatly influencing the emperor’s decisions; in 958 he also led a campaign against the Arabs. However, under Romanos II (959-963), Basil was temporarily removed from his office and the political scene of the palace, since the new emperor replaced almost all of his father’s associates; Joseph Bringas was placed in the office of parakoimomenos and became the person managing state affairs.

After the emperor’s death (on April 14, 963), Bringas attempted to retain his power by forming a regency for the underage sons of Romanos II, Basil and Constantine; he himself assumed the role of their regent, with the support of their mother Theophano. However, the empress, disagreeing with Bringas’ plans, conspired against him with Nikephoros Phokas, domestikos ton scholon of the East. Phokas, already popular for his military success against the Arabs and fully supported by the army, rebelled on July 2, 963, with the aim to overthrow Joseph Bringas and become emperor. In the beginning of August, when Phokas led his army to the coast of Bosporus, opposite Constantinople, Basil Lekapenos had already been in contact with the empress, sensing that the time was right for him to re-enter the political scene. On August 9 he organised a revolt in Constantinople, followed by 3000 armed supporters, and forced Bringas to seek refuge in the church of Hagia Sophia; at the same time he gained the support of the fleet, facilitating Phokas in his entry to Constantinople. The rise of Nikephoros II to the throne marked Basil’s return to active political life. As a reward for his aid, the emperor restored him to his position as parakoimomenos and bestowed upon him the title of proedros of the Senate. However, despite Basil’s increased responsibilities, he was not the emperor’s most important advisor; this position was held by Nikephoro’s brother Leo Phokas, who held the title of kouropalates.

2.2. 969-985

The fact that Basil was not the first in the hierarchy of officials in the Empire must have played an important role for his involvement in the fall of Nikephoros II Phokas, in December 969. The emperor’s nephew John Tzimiskes and the Empress Theophano organised a conspiracy, which led to the emperor’s murder. Basil, sensing the change in the political scene, openly declared his support of Tzimiskes, immediately upon learning of Nikephoros’ death.⁶ The new emperor allowed him to remain in his position as parakoimomenos and enhanced his power by completely handing over the handling of state affairs to him. Basil undertook the important task of removing all supporters of the Phokas family from the court and the administration, while he also accompanied John I in his campaign against the Rus in Bulgaria. His role appeared diminished after 971, while toward the end of Tzimiskes’ reign he must have fallen out of favour, especially when, after his return to Constantinople from Tzimiskes’ last campaign in Syria (975), the emperor realised the number of estates that his parakoimomenos had accumulated for himself. Basil swiftly sensed the danger for his career and, having already prepared the succession, he had the emperor poisoned; the legal heirs to the throne Basil II and Constantine VIII (1025-1028), now of age, could finally assume power.

In this new regime, Lekapenos was in charge, since Basil II, being young and inexperienced, willingly trusted him to govern the Empire.⁷ In an effort to secure his own position, as well as that of the young emperors, Lekapenos sent a pretender of the throne, Bardas Skleros, away from the capital, demoting him to duke of Mesopotamia. Aiming to keep control of the army himself, he appointed as leader the eunuch stratopedarches Peter, while the former associate of Bardas Skleros, Michael Bourtzes was promoted into duke of Antioch; thus he was trying to separate the interests and the ambitions of the military aristocracy of Asia Minor and prevent any common action against the central government. However, Skleros organised a rebellion, aiming to dethrone Basil II and Basil Lakapenos, and to take over the throne for himself. Lekapenos unsuccessfully attempted to defeat Skeros, but was forced to ask the help of Bardas Phokas, who was in exile since 970; Phokas took the office of domestikos ton scholon of Oriens in spring 978.