Name↕ | Reign Start↕ | Reign End↕ | Dynasty↕ | Notable For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Constantine I (the Great) | 306 | 337 | Constantinian | Founded Constantinople |
Theodosius I | 379 | 395 | Theodosian | Made Christianity state religion |
Justinian I | 527 | 565 | Justinian | Reconquered West, Corpus Juris Civilis, Hagia Sophia |
Heraclius | 610 | 641 | Heraclian | Defeated Sassanid Persia |
Leo III the Isaurian | 717 | 741 | Isaurian | Defended Constantinople from Arabs, iconoclasm |
Irene of Athens | 797 | 802 | Isaurian | First female sole ruler |
Basil I the Macedonian | 867 | 886 | Macedonian | Founded Macedonian golden age |
Leo VI the Wise | 886 | 912 | Macedonian | Legal scholar, codified Byzantine law |
Constantine VII | 913 | 959 | Macedonian | Scholar emperor, De Administrando Imperio |
Nikephoros II Phokas | 963 | 969 | Macedonian | Reconquered Crete and Cilicia |
John I Tzimiskes | 969 | 976 | Macedonian | Defeated Rus and Bulgars |
Basil II the Bulgar-Slayer | 976 | 1025 | Macedonian | Empire at peak, crushed Bulgarians |
Romanos IV Diogenes | 1068 | 1071 | Doukas | Lost Battle of Manzikert |
Alexios I Komnenos | 1081 | 1118 | Komnenian | Called the First Crusade |
John II Komnenos | 1118 | 1143 | Komnenian | Considered most virtuous emperor |
Manuel I Komnenos | 1143 | 1180 | Komnenian | Last great Komnenian ruler |
Isaac II Angelos | 1185 | 1195 | Angelos | Reigned before Fourth Crusade sack |
Michael VIII Palaiologos | 1259 | 1282 | Palaiologos | Reconquered Constantinople in 1261 |
Andronikos II Palaiologos | 1282 | 1328 | Palaiologos | Scholar emperor, empire declined |
John VI Kantakouzenos | 1347 | 1354 | Kantakouzenos | Civil war, later became a monk |
Manuel II Palaiologos | 1391 | 1425 | Palaiologos | Traveled Europe seeking aid |
Constantine XI Palaiologos | 1449 | 1453 | Palaiologos | Last Byzantine emperor, died defending Constantinople |
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