Leo VI the Wise

Leo VI, also known as Leo the Wise, was a Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. He was born on September 19, 866, and passed away on May 11, 912. Because he was very well read and learned, he earned the title "the Wise." Leo was the second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty, although it is not fully clear how he was related to the dynasty's founders.

During Leo's time as emperor, many books and writings were made, continuing a time of learning that began with his predecessor, Basil I. However, the empire faced some tough times too. Soldiers from Bulgaria won against them in the Balkans, and fighters from Arabia were successful in places like Sicily and the Aegean.

Leo’s rule also saw some very old Roman ways of doing things come to an end. For example, the job of Roman consul was no longer used separately during his time. Even with these challenges, Leo is remembered for his love of learning and the many books made during his rule.

Early life

Born on 19 September 866 to the empress Eudokia Ingerina, Leo grew up during a time of royal family changes. He was either the child of Emperor Michael III or the second son of Basil I the Macedonian. In 867, Michael was killed by Basil, who then became emperor. Leo became a possible future emperor in 870 and was next in line after his older brother died in 879. However, Leo and Basil did not get along well, especially after Leo's unhappy marriage. Basil died in a hunting accident in 886.

Domestic policy

After becoming emperor, Leo VI held a big ceremony to rebury the remains of Michael III in the imperial mausoleum inside the Church of the Holy Apostles. He worked to gain support from important people in the capital and brought in trusted helpers like Stylianos Zaoutzes and the eunuch Samonas. Leo sometimes had troubles with powerful families, like the Phokadai and the Doukai, which led to conflicts such as the revolt led by Andronikos Doukas in 906.

Leo tried to play a role in church matters by replacing patriarchs. He dismissed Patriarch Photios and put his young brother Stephen in charge, but after Stephen’s death, he changed leaders again. During his rule, the beautiful Church of Agios Lazaros in Larnaca was built, and Leo finished work on updating the laws, known as the Basilika, which began under Justinian I.

Stories tell of Leo secretly walking through Constantinople to find unfair or corrupt actions. Once, guards stopped him three times. The first two let him go after small bribes, but the third arrested him. The jailer recognized him the next day and let him go. Leo praised the officer who arrested him for doing his job right and punished the others.

Foreign policy

Leo VI had mixed success in his wars. He listened to his main advisor, which led to a war with Simeon I of Bulgaria in 894, but Leo lost this fight. By getting help from the Magyars, he managed to win back some ground in 895. However, without his new allies, Leo lost a big battle in 896 and had to agree to make payments to Bulgaria.

Leo did win a battle in 900 against the Emirate of Tarsus, capturing their leader. But in the west, the Emirate of Sicily took over Taormina, the last Byzantine place on the island of Sicily, in 902. Leo kept trying to protect his lands by creating a new area called Mesopotamia, invading Armenia in 902, and attacking Theodosiopolis. He also carried out successful attacks in areas controlled by Arab forces.

In 904, a leader named Leo of Tripolis and his group attacked and damaged Thessalonica. An effort to take back Crete in 911–912 did not succeed. During this time, new areas were set up to guard against attacks. In 907, leaders from Kievan Rus' under Oleg of Novgorod attacked Constantinople seeking better trade deals. Leo paid them to leave, but they attacked again in 911, and finally, a trade agreement was made.

Marriages

Leo VI created a big problem with his many marriages because he did not have a proper heir to the throne. His first wife Theophano died, as did his second wife Zoe Zaoutzaina. His third wife Eudokia Baïana also passed away. Instead of marrying a fourth time, which was against the rules, Leo took a partner Zoe Karbonopsina and later married her after she had their son in 905. This caused some disagreement, but the church eventually allowed the marriage with some conditions.

Succession

Leo VI was succeeded by his younger brother Alexander, who had ruled together with his father and brother since 879. Alexander ruled for thirteen months before passing away.

Constantine then became emperor. Before Constantine was old enough to rule alone, one of his regents became senior co-emperor as Romanos I. Romanos married his daughter to Constantine, and their son later became emperor as Romanos II after Constantine's death in 959.

Works

Leo VI was a talented writer who created many works on different subjects. He gave special speeches in churches and wrote important books about laws. One of his biggest works was called the Basilika, which organized many old laws into six big books. He also wrote new laws called "Novels" to solve problems happening at the time.

Leo also wrote about how the government should work and made rules for traders in the city. Later, people thought he could predict the future and created poems and texts with his name on them. He also helped move important religious items to Constantinople and wrote special songs for church services.

Family

Leo VI had children with four different wives. With his first wife, Theophano Martinakia, he had a daughter named Eudokia, who passed away in 892. With his second wife, Zoe Zaoutzaina, he had another daughter named Anna of Constantinople, who later married Louis the Blind, the Holy Roman Emperor. With his third wife, Eudokia Baïana, he had a son named Basil, who lived only a few days. Finally, with his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, he had two children: Anna and Constantine VII.