|Emperor of the Byzantine Empire| Basil, his son Constantine,
and his second wife, Empress Eudokia Ingerina. |Full name||Basil
I the Macedonian| |Died||August 29, 886 (aged 75)|
|Successor||Leo VI the Wise| |Issue||by Maria: Constantine by
Eudokia: Leo VI, Alexander, Stephen Basil I, called the
Macedonian (Greek: Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, Basíleios hō Makedṓn;
830/835 – August 29, 886) was a Byzantine Emperor of probable
Armenian descent who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a simple
peasant in the Byzantine theme of Macedonia, he rose in the
Imperial court, and usurped the Imperial throne from Emperor
Michael III (r. 842–867). Despite his humble origins, he showed
great ability in running the affairs of state, leading a revival
of Imperial power and to a renaissance of Byzantine art. He was
perceived by the Byzantines as one of their greatest emperors,
and the dynasty he founded, the Macedonian (Greek: Μακεδονική
δυναστεία), ruled over what is regarded as the most glorious and
prosperous era of the Byzantine Empire.