Basiliskianos ( gr, Βασιλισκιανός), also Basiliskos (Βασιλίσκος) or Basilikinos (), was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

courtier and companion of emperor Michael III. Very little is known about his origin and early life.

John Skylitzes John Skylitzes, commonly Latinized as Ioannes, la, Johannes, label=none, la, Iōannēs, label=none Scylitzes ( el, Ἰωάννης Σκυλίτζης, ''Iōánnēs Skylítzēs'', or el, Σκυλίτση, ''Skylítsē'', label=none ; la, ...

and

Theophanes Continuatus ''Theophanes Continuatus'' ( el, συνεχισταί Θεοφάνους) or ''Scriptores post Theophanem'' (, "those after Theophanes") is the Latin name commonly applied to a collection of historical writings preserved in the 11th-century Vat. g ...

(as well as

Zonaras Joannes or John Zonaras ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Ζωναρᾶς ; 1070 – 1140) was a Byzantine Greek historian, chronicler and theologian who lived in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). Under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos he held th ...

, who follows them) report that he was originally a simple rower in one of the emperor's personal ships, but this may well be later fabrication to disparage him. Theophanes Constinuatus also reports that he was the brother of Constantine Kapnogenes, who later became Eparch of the City. Michael III proclaims Basilikinos as co-emperor

Michael III proclaims Basilikinos as co-emperor

By 866, Basiliskianos had risen to the rank of , and was serving in the imperial household (), being one of Emperor Michael III's close companions. On 1 September of that year, after a

chariot race Chariot racing ( grc-gre, ἁρματοδρομία, harmatodromia, la, ludi circenses) was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine sports. In Greece, chariot racing played an essential role in aristocratic funeral games from ...

at the palace of Saint Mamas (in modern Beşiktaş), Basiliskianos congratulated the emperor so fulsomely on his victory that, according to the chroniclers, the delighted Michael ordered him to take from his own feet the red imperial boots () and put them on himself. This provoked the displeasure of Michael's co-emperor

Basil the Macedonian Basil I, called the Macedonian ( el, Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, ''Basíleios ō Makedṓn'', 811 – 29 August 886), was a Byzantine Emperor who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a lowly peasant in the theme of Macedonia, he rose in the ...

, a man of humble origin who had risen to power through his own close relationship with Michael. Michael, seeing Basil's disapproval, became angry, and threatened to make Basiliskianos co-emperor in Basil's place. The rift between Michael and his erstwhile protégé widened thereafter, and on 24 September 867, when Michael retired drunk to his quarters at Saint Mamas, Basil and eight of his supporters moved to kill the emperor. The Rendakios, who normally slept before the emperor's bedroom, was absent, and Basiliskianos took his place on that night. When Basil and his co-conspirators barged into the bedchamber, Basiliskianos tried to oppose them but was wounded and thrown aside. After the conspirators killed Michael, they rowed down the

Bosporus The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern Tu ...

back to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

, where Basil was hastily crowned sole emperor, inaugurating the

Macedonian dynasty The Macedonian dynasty (Greek: Μακεδονική Δυναστεία) ruled the Byzantine Empire from 867 to 1056, following the Amorian dynasty. During this period, the Byzantine state reached its greatest extent since the Muslim conquests, a ...

. Nothing further is known of Basiliskianos after that.

References

Sources

* * {{Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit , volume = A1 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kr7oMOBPqZYC&pg=PA319 , title = 977. Basiliskianos , page = 319 9th-century Byzantine people Patricii