Emperor of Byzantium
685 AD - 731 AD: Justinian II (Herclian Dynasty) [1]
731 AD - 744 AD: Constantine V (Herclian Dynasty) [2]
Emperor of Byzantium and Khazars
744 AD - 767 AD: Constantine V (Herclian Dynasty) [2]
767 AD - 789 AD: Constantine VI (Herclian Dynasty) [3]
789 AD - 829 AD: Constantine VII (Herclian Dynasty) [4]
829 AD - 835 AD: Justinian III (Herclian Dynasty) [5]
835 AD - 878 AD: Alexander I (Herclian Dynasty) [6]
878 AD - 901 AD: Zoe I (Herclian Dynasty) [7]
901 AD - 947 AD: Constantine VIII (Herclian Dynasty) [8]
947 AD - 979 AD: Alexander II (Herclian Dynasty) [9]
979 AD - 1004 AD: Justinian IV (Herclian Dynasty) [10]
1004 AD - 1049 AD: Alexander III (Herclian Dynasty) [11]
1049 AD - 1060 AD: Theodora (Herclian Dynasty) [12]
1060 AD - 1102 AD: Christine (Herclian Dynasty) [13]
1102 AD - 1104 AD: Leo III (Herclian Dynasty) [14]
1104 AD - 1139 AD: Alexander IV (Herclian Dynasty) [15]
1139 AD - 1141 AD: Justinian V (Herclian Dynasty) [16]
1141 AD - 1177 AD: Justinian VI (Herclian Dynasty) [17]
1177 AD - 1178 AD: Constantine IX (Herclian Dynasty) [18]
1178 AD - 1228 AD: Constantine X (Herclian Dynasty) [19]
1228 AD - 1257 AD: Sophia I (Herclian Dynasty) [20]
1257 AD - 1260 AD: Constantine XI (Herclian Dynasty) [21]
1260 AD - 1268 AD: Peter I (Ibrahimite Dynasty) [22]
1260 AD - 1289 AD: Sophia II (Herclian Dynasty) [23]
1289 AD - 1321 AD: Zoe II (Palaiologos Dynasty) [24]
1321 AD - 1325 AD: Constantine XII (Palaiologos Dynasty) [25]
Emperor of Byzantium and Khazars, King of Naples, Count of Provence
1325 AD - 1343 AD: Robert I (House of Anjou-Naples) [26]
1343 AD - 1378 AD: Robert II (House of Anjou-Naples) [27]
1378 AD - 1404 AD: William I (House of Anjou-Naples) [28]
1404 AD - 1424 AD: Basil I Otto (House of Munthe) [29]
1424 AD - 1466 AD: Michael I (House of Munthe) [30]
1466 AD - 1475 AD: Constantine XIII (Palaiologos Dynasty) [31]
1475 AD - 1505 AD: Casimiro I (Branicki Dynasty) [32]
1505 AD - 1523 AD: Constantine XIV (Branicki Dynasty) [33]
1523 AD - 1559 AD: Casimiro II (Branicki Dynasty) [34]
1559 AD - 1568 AD: Alexander V (Branicki Dynasty) [35]
Emperor of Byzantium and Khazars, King of Naples
1568 AD - 1610 AD: Alexander V (Branicki Dynasty) [35]
1610 AD - 1679 AD: Meliza I (Mirilenko Dynasty) [36]
June 1 1679 AD - June 29 1679 AD: Constantine XV (Mirilenko Dynasty) [37]
1679 AD - 1704: Michael II (Mirilenko Dynasty) [38]
1704 AD - 1743: Constance I (Mirilenko Dynasty) [39]
1743 AD - 1788 AD: Angelica I (Mirilenko Dynasty) [40]
1788 AD - 1798 AD: Constance II(Mirilenko Dynasty) [41]
Byzantium Republic
1798 AD - Present: Democratic Elected Leaders [42]
[1] An uprising in 695 AD, led by Leontios was defeated by the Emperor and those involved were greatly and viciously punished. After this, Justinian surprisingly reached out to both the Khagan of the Khazars and the King of the Bulgars and with a promise of 10,000 silver coins a year, he gained Bulgar and Khazar guards to protect himself and a bride in the form of the sister of the Khazar Khagan. He renamed his wife Theodora just before thier ceremony. Paranoid throughout the rest of his reign, Justinian would rule until his death in 731 AD, at the age of 62. He was succeeded by his son by Theodora, Constance, who had served as Co-Emperor since 715 AD.
[2] Constantine, was born in the first months of his parents marriage in 703, a strong and healthy baby. Tutored by the wisest men, his father could provide, by the age of 10, Constantine had proved to his father that he had the brain and the heart to be his successor, and from Constantine's 12th birthday, he participated in running the government and co-ruling the Empire.
At the age of 28, Constantine, was crowned as the sole Emperor of the Byzantium, he would successfully command the defending army of the Empire against the invading Umayyads in 737.
With his borders secured, he would work with his uncle, Khagan Bihar of the Khazars to unite their culture and people, marrying Bihar's only child and Constantine's cousin, Princess Tzitzak.
When his father-in-law died in 744, Constantine, secured the two Empires by killing off the rebel warlords; Zachariah and Obadiah, to form a lasting United Empire, with Christianity spreading quickly through the semi-nomadic lands, with churches being built in the centre of the new villages and towns.
Constantine, died in 767, aged 64, after falling ill during the cold winter. Leaving his Empire to his nephew Constantine VI
[3] Constantine VI, nephew of the previous Emperor and grandson of Justinian II ruled for 22 years and had to fight off a rebellion led by a Armenian by the name of Cyril. This was the only event of any importance to happen during the reign of Constantine VI. He died in 789 AD and was succeeded by his son, Constantine VII.
[4] Constantine VII is probably best known amongst military historian circles for his conquest of Armenia, but was also a fair and just ruler, even to those his nation conquered. Passed away in the fall of 829, after 40 years on the throne, succeeded by his grandson, Justinian.
[5] Justinian III was already starting to get on in age when he inherited the empire, courtesy of his grandfather's long reign. Almost immediately following the death of his predecessor, he was forced to contend with unrest in the east, where the formerly pacified Armenia revolted, first in 830, then again in 832. After the latter, Justinian started a great purge of the traditional Armenian aristocracy, which had existed largely unchanged during Constantine VII's reign. In 833, he went on campaign in the Caucasus, attempting to add the land's of Georgia to his domain. Unfortunately, the campaign would prove disastrous, lowering his support throughout the empire. When he had his son, also named Justinian, crowned as Co-Emperor in 835 his heir was poisoned at the post-coronation feast. Devastated, Justinian chose to end his reign early, crowning his son, Alexander, as a compromise candidate for Co-Emperor and then swiftly abdicating.
[6] Alexander I ruled for 43 years, and was best recognized for his successful campaigns against the Ostrogoths who briefly ruled Pannonia in the 850s. During a bout with illness, now known to be a particularly nasty form of pancreatic cancer, in the 870s, he named his daughter, Zoe, as his heir, in an unpredecented move (as his only son had died fighting the Ostrogoths); the Emperor died in December 878, aged 62, and was mourned by many.
[7] Zoe's reign as the first female reigning Empress was highly controversial. To bolster her power, Zoe took masculine titles, legally she was 'Emperor Zoe' and married a respected General to gain the loyalty of his men. She had need of them as during the first three years of her reign there were several riots and attempted revolts by the nobility and clergy, all of which were put down without mercy, causing her reign to be dubbed 'the Reign of Blood'. Zoe was also famous for writing a number of books, most notably 'On the Running of a Most Roman and Christian Empire' in which she outlined ways to rule the Empire's internal affairs while dealing with external and internal threats. This along with her political and historical commentaries would be seen as a benchmark by scholars for the start of the development of political science. She died in 901, leaving the throne to her son Constantine VIII
[8] Constantine VIII was the son of Zoe through her marriage to Michael, a respected general who was also a descendant of Constantine VI and thus a member of the Herclian dynasty. Constantine proved himself an able and just ruler with a brutal streak when it came to his enemies. He ruled for thirty years and was succeeded by his eldest son Alexander II, who had served as Co-Emperor for the last year before Constantine VIII's death.
[9] Alexander II, much more laid back with his rivals than his father was, also made an effort to reach out to the rest of the European world: in 952, he married Christine of Arles, a Franco-Italian princess whose father had become a friend of his uncle, Justinian of Tarsus, who was a well respected general: the Empress was a woman of superb intelligence and wit, and she would come to earn the full respect of not just most of the court, but the public at large-many mothers amongst the commoners even named their daughters after her, out of adoration. When Alexander passed away in 979, his eldest son Justinian, took the reins.
[10] Justinian IV was the eldest son of Alexander II and a notorious womanizer. Decadent, unruly and brash, if not for his skilled advisors and officials he would have bankrupt the empire. Long thought to be half-mad, Justinian was a poor king who, by some cruel joke of God's, held the throne for over two decades while surviving numerous assassination attempts, growing ever-paranoid. He was married to Elisa of Naples and bore three children with her but sired numerous bastards with his other lovers. Justinian, in poor health and obese by the end of his reign, died by over-indulging himself in sex and wine. His son Alexander III took the throne upon his death.
[11] Alexander III did the best he could to distance himself from his tragically insane father's failures, and instead tried to emulate his grandfather; for this, he relied on his mother Elisa for advice during the first 12 years on the throne, until her death, and his uncle Constantine for some time afterwards. It was a challenge, but he was able to reverse the Empire's recent streak of bad fortune, and when he died in February 1049, he left his surviving daughter, Theodora as heiress, as his only son had died in a tragic accident and he had outlived all of his (legitimate) brothers and sisters.
[12] Emperor Theodora (often called this to distinguish her from the myriad of Theodora's)took the throne upon her father's death. Having intended to become a nun she was ill-prepared to reign and left the actual running of the Empire to her husband (whom her father had quickly arranged for her prior to his death). Her short, unstable reign ended in 1060 when she died giving birth to her third child, as a result her daughter, Christine took the throne as a child with her husband as regent.
[13] Christine, the oldest daughter of Theodora, and named after her French ancestor, blossomed into a woman known for her sharp wit and intelligence, much like her namesake. She also negotiated a treaty of peace with the Persians, and held back an invasion from the Arabian Abdelid Caliphate, and two incursions from the Varangians of the Ukraine(who would be crushed and absorbed by their Russian neighbors by the end of Christine's reign). She was also well-known for bringing many of the Slavic people of the Balkans fully into the fold of the empire. When she died in 1102, she was mourned by many, and her cousin, Leo was placed on the throne.
[14] Leo, the younger cousin of Christine took the throne when he was still a young man. A handsome, willful ruler, Leo posessed all the charisma of a great leader and was adored by all. Leo saw himself as the next Alexander the Great and sought to make a name for himself by conquering the Abdelid Caliphate in its entirety. Leo attacked the caliphate and made sweeping gains but was dragged into a stalemate with the Arabs. He died two years into his reign in the Battle of Arsuf and his successor, Alexander IV, continued the war with the Abdeids.
[15] Alexander IV, the youngest brother of Leo, finished the war that his elder brother had started, and thoroughly humiliated the Abdelids in the Battle of Tikrit, forcing them to surrender, and go back home. Afterwards, he expanded the rights of the Slavic, Jewish, and Lebanese ethnic minorities, as his cousin Christine had intended. He died at the age of 72 in 1139, and his cousin, Justinian V was crowned in his place.
[16] Already wasting away from a severe illness (discovered by modern historians to be stomach cancer), the closest and eldest relative of Alexander IV, Justinian V was crowned on December 3rd 1139 and ruled for just over thirteen months before his illness claimed his life. During this short reign, he spent almost every day in bed, unable to even relieve himself without aid. Due to this, his sister Theodora was able to manipulate into naming her son Justinian VI as his her before his death on January 8th 1141.
[17] Justinian VI, who took the name out of respect to his uncle, ruled for 36 years, before his death on October 25, 1177: nothing of note happened during his reign. His son, Constantine, a progressive-minded monarch who had expressed interest in further strengthening ties with the Western European powers, took the throne.
[18] Constantine IX, was only king for under a year, when he was assassinated for his progressive-views and pro-Western stanch, which the assassin, saw would ruin, this orthodox way of life.
[19] Constantine X, only 16 at the time, had been present when his father was assassinated; the man who did this, as it turns out, was a member of a radical secret society based in the town of Tarsus-the organization was quickly disbanded, the mastermind of the plot executed, and the rest imprisoned for life. His sister Elizabeth, 10 years his senior, served as his regent until he reached the age of 18, and continued to influence him until his death in 1228. Going by her advice, he allowed his daughter Sophia to take the throne, who would herself continue the golden age of prosperity that the empire had continued to enjoy.
[20] Sophia was the daughter of Constantine X, married to the Duke of Modena. Her reign would see a renewal of the Empire's interest in the Italian states. Through clever politics and a couple of invasions and supported coups, she gained control over the duchies of Venice, Mantua, and Ferrara. The wealth from gaining a foothold in the Italian trade was used to improve the cities of Byzantium, along with Sophia's greatest project, the Cathedral of Christ Triumphant, a church built in Constantinople that was designed to surpass the Hagia Sophia (though it wasn't completed in her lifetime).
[21]Constantine XI was the son of Sophia. During his short reign he oversaw the completion of the Cathedral of Christ Triumphant. He was overthrown in violent revolution by Peter of Tarsus progeny of the new Ibrahimite Dynasty
[22]Peter of Tarsus, a general from a respected Syriac family with dreams of attaining ultimate power, was put into place during the surprise revolution, by Syriacs and Turks who had become increasingly dissatisfied by the ruling dynasty. The people quickly turned against him, however, after both a protest in Constantinople ended in a violent massacre in November, 1264, amongst many other things, culminated in Peter's overthrow and execution. Sophia II of the Heraclian Dynasty, sister of Constantine XI was welcomed to the throne in Oct. 1268, and the rest of the Ibrahimites quickly distanced themselves from their disgraced relative.....but were themselves barred from holding any political power for 200 years. However, though, as it turned out, Constantine's sister would be the last of the Heraclians on the throne, though her reign was a peaceful one.
[22] Sophia II, was named after a distant family member, and is highly regarded in the annuals of the Empire as 'the Peaceful One'. It can be said that she was neither of a warlike nature nor a simple woman. She ruled with a fair hand and adopted her fourth cousin, Zoe, as her heir. Her choice of an heir proved to be a great undoing of her fair rule. It is that and her immense dislike of things erratic. Her court was a strictly clean one and Zoe II is accredited in refining the Imperial Administration to a "clean & clear" manner.
[24]Zoe II, though a fourth cousin to Sophia II, was born into the influential Palaiologos family, and was educated mainly in Athens, and so, took on that family name. Zoe tried to be a fair ruler like her cousin Sophia, but made some critical mistakes, including having the Syriac Patriarch sentenced to 10 years in prison over a quarrel(albeit one that got heated); the Patriarch died while in custody, and a terrible riot erupted in Damascus in 1313 (on March 1st, of all days!), lasting until the 13th, in which two hundred people died. Zoe eventually faced her errors and spent the last seven years of her reign undoing as much damage as she could. Her nephew Michael would take over as Emperor, as neither of Zoe's daughters showed a particular interest in statecraft.
[25] Michael took the regal name of Constantine XII. He was a traditional monarch in every sense of the term. Everything became a copy of what was the Empire before the "decays". Alas, civil unrest blighted all of his reign, and foreign Western European interventions began to rise in Italy. On the day he appointed his nephew, Robert of Naples his heir in Constantinople, one of his courtiers stabbed him in mid-appointment of Robert as the Emperor to be, and he died an agonizing death.
[26] Robert was the nephew of Constantine XII through his sister, Maria of Byzantium, and was already the ruler of Naples and the Count of Provence when he was appointed to be Emperor of Byzantium. Relocating to Constantinople upon his appointment he captured the conspirators who he could uncover and had them brutally executed for daring to murder an Emperor. He reigned well, but having to travel between Byzantium, Italy, and his holdings in France took it's toll on his health, and the health of his three wives who all died fairly young. As a result when he reached old age Robert appointed his eldest living son, William, as his heir and began preparing to split up his other realms to his other heirs but died before this could take place.
[27] Robert II, upon ascension, immediately began plans to put into place what his father had intended to start. By the end of his reign in 1378, neither Naples or Provence were in the hands of Byzantium anymore, and Robert II only held these titles in name only for the last 5 years of his reign. Although his reign had been largely peaceful, there were growing concerns about the Mongol khans out east, who desired to conquer Khazaria as a ploy to expand their own empire. His successor, his son, William, the only surviving Anjou heir available for the throne, would have to collaborate with the Russians(chiefly the Muscovites), in order to fight off the Mongols, and it would ultimately come at the cost of losing Khazaria(conquered by the Mongols, and annexed by the Muscovites afterwards).....
[28]William I's reign was primarily marked by the battles with the Mongols; while the Empire did, unfortunately, ultimately lose Khazaria, William did end up proving himself to be a rather skilled commander, and the Byzantine fleet, strengthened and enlarged by reforms that he enacted, proved to be vital in keeping the coast of Sakartvelia(Georgia, the country), out of the hands of Timur Khan, which ultimately helped prevent further losses. After the Mongol Wars ended in 1392, William also greatly expanded the private Imperial fleet, and even could be said to have created the world's first cruise line; he became known as Sailor William because of this. He died in 1404, and his cousin Otto , of the Western European Hapsburg family was crowned.
[29] Edward took the regal name of Basil Otto I to be one with his new subjects. He is regarded as 'Basil the Cannon Maker' due to his love of artillery. He is also regarded as 'the Bloody' for his many strikes outside of the Empire. The Emperor formally adopted his nephew, Michael, as his heir and attempted to have the Empire be regarded as a Western European nation but failed. This, coupled with a fall out with his relatives, caused him to give power to the military and caused a great strife in the Imperial Government. Basil Otto died of natural causes.
[30] Michael's reign, sadly, was one of tragic and abject failures. From the ill-conceived wars against Poland and Ruthenia, to the severing of many economic ties with Persia, he became one of the most disliked Emperors of all time, and even gained a paranoid streak late in his life. And, as his only son had died in combat with the Poles in 1454 at the age of 21, the throne, upon Michael's death, passed back to the Palaiologos family, to Constantine XIII, a descendant of Zoe II, an Empress who would cut all ties to the Hapsburg family, and the German states altogether, while trying to repair relations with Poland and Ruthenia.
[31] Constantine XIII was an odd Empress, mostly due to the fact that she decided upon her coronation to take a male name rather than her original name of Zoe. This was also reflected in her attitude towards the Hapsburg and the German States. She rescinded all alliance with them and would much of her twenty three year reign trying to repair relations with Poland and Ruthenia. She went as far as to marry the son of the King of Poland and their son Constantine, would inherit the throne
[32] Although not quite as radical as his mother Constantine XIII, Casimiro was still a progressive monarch in many ways; he also opened relations with England for the first time, with Richard IV being personally invited to the court in 1492. Casimiro married Roxana Mirienko, a Ruthenian noblewoman, and when Casimiro passed away in May 1505, his son Constantine inherited the throne.
[33] Constantine XIV spent most of his reign fighting in a war with his Polish cousin to claim the throne his father. The war was going fairly well, until Constantine was shot from his horse by a crossbowman, and his son and heir, Casimiro, withdrew all troops from Poland.
[34] Casimiro II sought to make amends for his father's mistakes, permanently revoking all of his branch of the Branicki family's claims to the Polish throne, and signing a peace treaty at Warsaw. He also strengthened ties with the Muscovites as well. Died in 1558 and his son, Alexander took his place.
[35] Alexander V is often known as 'the Italian' due to his successes in restoring actual control over the Kingdom of Naples after the War of Neapolitan Succession after the last of the Anjou's died out, though as per the treaty with France the Byzantine claims to Provence were dropped. It was Alexander's dream to gain full control over the Italian states and restore the old Roman Empire, this never came to fruition in his reign, though the Byzantine holdings in Italy were expanded to include portions of Savoy. Due to his long life Alexander outlived all his children so his granddaughter, Meliza, took the throne.
[36] Meliza, a mere child of 6 years, when her grandfather died, had her mother, Anna, serve as her regent during her first 12 years on the throne. Meliza, who inherited the Mirilenko family name from her father(a distant cousin of her mother's), was considered to be one of the best rulers the Byzantine Empire ever had. Already Queen of Naples, she was able to expand the family's holdings to include not only all of Italy, but even the Balearic Islands and Sardinia as well. She also managed to pacify the Turks in the east of the country, and restrengthened ties with Persia. When she died, she was mourned by millions, and her nephew, Constantine took her place, hoping to continue her legacy of peaceful expansion and unprecendented prosperity.
[37] Constantine inherited his aunt's throne but would rule for 28 days as he tragically died after being struck on the head by a piece of falling masonry. He would be succeeded by his younger brother, Michael.
[38] Michael, had only been heir presume for 28 days, when he was thrusted onto his brother's throne.
His first year consisted of finding a suitable wife, which he found in France, in the form of Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Henri-Jules de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon and his wife Anne Henriette of the Palatinate. On her father's side she belonged to a cadet branch of the French royal House of Bourbon, and on her mother's side, from English royalty and the House of Nassau, their marriage was seen as a way to induce better relations between Byzantium and France.
The next two decades was spent, reforming the navy, improving trade routes and securing the succession of his family.
[39] Constance I, daughter of Michael II was a just and much-loved ruler. A pious woman, Constance's faith in Christianity was unshakeable. Her religous fervor made itself explicitly apparent in the Byzantine Jihad (1734) where her empire was attacked by the Mahmassid Caliphate. Constance inspired her troops with spectacular miracles and led the Christians to an overwhelming victory. For her valour she was made a saint of the Byzantine Church. Having died a virgin with no issue, the crown passed on to Angelica upon Constance's death.
[40] Angelica, the niece of Constance I through her sister, Christine, followed in her aunt's footsteps as a just ruler, and was also much-loved for it. However, though, although of a spiritual bent, she was rather less religious than her beloved aunt. She is best known for approving secularist reforms to government and for allowing Giannis Mavroutis, an adventurer from Greece, to take 5,000 men to help Britain's North Victorian colonies to break away from their control-after the Victorians won their independence in 1782, they graciously allowed the Greeks to stay, and was made a honorary citizen of the Federal States of Victoria in 1787, a year before her death. Her daughter, Constance II, born of a union between her and Count Albert de Bonaparte, a Corsican nobleman, took the throne, desiring to continue her mother's legacy.
[41] Constance II assumed the throne. She ruled fairly. However, her reign was plagued with a constant economic stagnation and problems from Britain, who was severely displeased by Eastern Roman intervention in its colonies. Other foreign problems occurred concerning religion and Constance showed herself to be focused on the domestic changes in government rather than the constant march of war that the Empire's neighbors fell into. She married a French nobleman in order to acquire land there. A bout of smallpox hit the empire and her husband. She did appoint her Austian lover, Archduke Maximilian Francis. It did not become legal for she got involved in an economic war with England. She agreed to a punishing treaty with Britain in regards to free trade and was assassinated while stopping over in France in regards to some treaty involving tariffs.
[41] After the assassination of the last living member of the house of Mirilenko, Chancellor Ludovico Marco, tried to find a replacement monarch, but was forced by the people to form a republic, similar to the one, many had heard of in North Victorian.
