What if these Byzantine usurpers "won"?

Zioneer

Banned
So I was looking at the list of Byzantine usurpers on Wikipedia, and reading through them, and it strikes me that many were nearly successful, but failed at the last minute. I'm not planning to write a timeline about any of these, but I'm curious to know the best guesses as to how these usurpers could win, and what would happen if they did.

1) Thomas the Slav: It seems he had one of the most successful failed usurpations, if that makes any sense. Of the usurpers that failed, Thomas the Slav seemed to be the closest to succeeding. So what happens if he becomes emperor, and how?

2) Constantine Doukas: Not the OTL emperor, but a different one. He seems to have almost gained the throne, and was in Constantinople itself before dying in what amounted to a street fight between his followers and the followers of the regency.

3) Bardas Phokas: He also seemed to have a large amount of support, though he died of a stroke or something similar in battle against Basil II. But what if he defeated and killed Basil II?

4) Bardas Skleros: He was dangerous enough to send another rebel, Phokas himself, out to defeat him. So what if he won?

5) George Maniakes: Maniakes seemed to be an extremely talented commander, though he had a furious temper. What if he wasn't killed in battle?

6) Nikophoros Bryennios the Elder: He seems to have gotten close, but the conduct of his troops managed to alienate the residents of Constantinople from him. So what if he somehow avoids that?

7) Theodore Komnenos Doukas: Ruler of Epirus, and would-be emperor. He attacked the Bulgarians who were otherwise his allies, and was captured and defeated completely. What if he decides to focus on the Latin Empire first?

8) Basil the Copper-Hand: Just for fun, I doubt there's any way to make him Emperor, but if there is, what happens next?
 
The reign of either of the two Bardases might have looked pretty similar to Nikephoros II Phokas or John Tzimiskes, all Anatolian dynatoi with big estates and promising military careers. I think a similar sort of co-rule with the Macedonian emperors would be possible, although even when young Basil II might have been just a little too dangerous to keep around as a puppet. Imagining either of them being a military co-emperor for Constantine VIII isn't that hard, however, since that's basically what Basil II was his whole life. On the other hand, both Bardas and Bardas had children, unlike Nikephoros and John, so they presumably would have had a stronger motive to actually replace the Macedonians rather than merely acting as their regents. Assuming Basil II meets with an "accident" or is otherwise neutralized, having either Bardas marry a son/grandson to Constantine's daughter(s) isn't out of the question, thus giving you the potential for a distaff continuation of the Macedonians even if Constantine doesn't have sons in this TL either.

As emperors they may do decently enough on the battlefield, probably even better than Basil II - Basil is well-regarded now, but his military track record early on was decidedly mixed. When it comes to military matters, I'd rather put my money on either Bardas than young Basil, no question. Like Nikephoros and (maybe) John, however, they probably stand a good chance of getting murdered and replaced by the next strongman in line.

I don't think Maniakes would last long on the throne - his support, such as it was, appears to have consisted entirely of his Sicilian expeditionary army, and what we know of him suggests that his temperament was not well suited to politics. Zoe, for all her faults, was apparently well-loved, and getting rid of her would only make him more enemies. If he managed to win the throne, I expect he would end up being just one of the parade of ambitious noblemen who briefly ruled the empire during the troublesome and chaotic post-Macedonian era.
 
Top