Leo VI - Son of Basil or Michael?

Who was Leo VI's father?

  • Basil I

    Votes: 9 56.3%
  • Michael III

    Votes: 7 43.8%

  • Total voters
    16

Onyx

Banned
Leo VI the Wise of Byzantium has been disputed as the illegitimate son of Michael III and his mistress or the son of Basil I

Now who do you think he was the son to? You decide!
 
No one knows or will know until there is a DNA test. However judging from their pictures, I would pick Basil I because he had a similar nose to Leo VI compared to Michael III. Also, Basil being the first of his dynasty would most likely pick his biological son to continue the dynasty. For those reasons, Basil seems to be Leo's most plausible father.
 

Onyx

Banned
No one knows or will know until there is a DNA test. However judging from their pictures, I would pick Basil I because he had a similar nose to Leo VI compared to Michael III. Also, Basil being the first of his dynasty would most likely pick his biological son to continue the dynasty. For those reasons, Basil seems to be Leo's most plausible father.

I always it was Basil considering why he would choose Leo as his successor, I thought it would be somewhat odd and implausible for Basil putting the son of the man who killed for the throne as heir to Byzantium, just my two cents tho
 
I always it was Basil considering why he would choose Leo as his successor, I thought it would be somewhat odd and implausible for Basil putting the son of the man who killed for the throne as heir to Byzantium, just my two cents tho

Well, Basil's public heir was his first son Constantine, who was crowned in 868, a year after Basil became sole Emperor, and was noted to be the next in line until his early death in 879. Although Leo had been associated to the throne in 870, Basil didn't expect Constantine to die.

Not to mention the crappy relationship between the two; Basil even had Leo imprisoned for 3 years at one point...
 

Onyx

Banned
Well, Basil's public heir was his first son Constantine, who was crowned in 868, a year after Basil became sole Emperor, and was noted to be the next in line until his early death in 879. Although Leo had been associated to the throne in 870, Basil didn't expect Constantine to die.

Not to mention the crappy relationship between the two; Basil even had Leo imprisoned for 3 years at one point...

Yes I know the whole relationship, I still believe that Leo was Basil's son, he just hated the fact that he was illegitimate with Basil's mistress and hated Basil since he wasn't on the title for heir
 
I'm going with Basil in absence of evidence to the contrary, but that's more an argument that we have no evidence than a vote.

Basil could have had a lot of reasons to despise Leo other than being another man's son.
 
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