Editing Basil II (section)

== Legacy ==
===Assessment===
[[File:Serbs and Croats in front of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Personifications of [[Serbia]] and [[Croatia]] in front of Basil II, painting by [[Joakim Marković]], 18th century.]]
An assessment of the reign in the eyes of the subsequent generations is given by Psellos:<blockquote>He crushed rebellions, subdued the feudal landowners, conquered the enemies of the Empire, notably in the Danubian provinces and the East. Everywhere the might of Roman arms was respected and feared. The treasury was overflowing with the accumulated plunder of Basil's campaigns. Even the lamp of learning, despite the emperor's known indifference, was burning still, if somewhat dimly. The lot of ordinary folk in Constantinople must have been pleasant enough. For most of them life was gay and colourful, and if the city's defensive fortifications were at some points in disrepair they had no cause to dread attacks.{{sfn|Sewter|1953|p=12}}</blockquote>

Basil II's reign is one of the most significant in Byzantine history. His constant military campaigns led to the zenith of Byzantine power in the [[Middle Ages]].{{sfn|Cartwright|2017}}{{sfn|Wortley|2010|p=28}} The restoration of the Danubian frontier helped establish a more stable and secure border for the empire in Europe, maintaining a stronger barrier against [[Principality of Hungary|Hungarian]] and [[Pecheneg]] raiders. The conquest of Bulgaria and the submission of the [[South Slavs]] created relative peace for the empire's Balkan lands, keeping larger cities—including Constantinople—safe from the previously frequent sieges and looting. Basil's military experience that allowed him to eventually turn the war against Bulgaria in the Byzantine Empire's favor were gained through the revolts of Phokas and Skleros in Anatolia that challenged his throne and sometimes got close to deposing him.{{sfn|Mango|2002|p=199}} Basil's creation of the Varangian Guard provided him and his successors with an elite mercenary force capable of changing battle outcomes and boosting morale that became feared by the emperor's enemies.{{sfn|Blöndal|Benedikz|2007|p=171}}

At this time, the [[Macedonian Renaissance]] was taking effect, seeing the rise of [[Classical Greece|classical Greek]] scholarship being assimilated into [[Christian art]] and the study of [[ancient Greek philosophy]] being widespread.{{sfn|Mango|2002|p=277}}{{sfn|Magdalino|2003|p=256}} The studies of these subjects, and the enlargement projects of the emperors, greatly expanded the library of the [[University of Constantinople]], which again established itself as the main source of learning for its day.{{sfn|Lawler|2011|p=118}} Though he was not a man of literature, Basil was a relatively pious ruler who involved himself in the construction of churches, monasteries and, to some extent, cities.{{sfn|Holmes|2005|p=280}}

Literary works, eulogies and poems were made by the great cities of the Byzantine Empire that mostly tried to juxtapose the classic past of kingdoms and empires with the new expansion of Basil II in which he was compared with many important figures of the east such as [[Cyrus the Great]] and [[Artaxerxes III|Artaxerxes]].{{sfn|Manafis|2020|loc={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}} He was also particularly compared with [[Alexander the Great]] who was believed to be Basil's ancestor.{{sfn|Manafis|2020|loc={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}} Classical works such as "[[The Persians]]" by the ancient Greek tragedian [[Aeschylus]] were among the most recited in the empire during the expansion given the different confrontations against the caliphates that the Byzantines indiscriminately and classically called "[[Medes]]".{{sfn|Magdalino|2004|pp=611–643}}{{sfn|Moennin|2016|pp=159–189}} Despite the great expansion during his reign, his military and non-scholastic character led him to be criticized and related to the ancient [[Sparta]]n monarchs or tyrants who at that time were remembered for being men of action, cruelty and decision who, like Basil, paid little attention to promoting the arts or literary culture and preferred a military environment.{{sfn|Ševčenko|1968}}

Basil II lacked heirs{{sfn|Magdalino|2003|p=66}} due to the "dearth of cousins found within the [[Macedonian dynasty]]",{{sfn|Brubaker|Tougher|2016|p=313}}{{efn|group=note|Basil's father; grandfather, [[Constantine VII]]; and great-grandfather, [[Leo VI the Wise|Leo VI]], each had either no siblings or childless siblings.{{sfn|Brubaker|Tougher|2016|p=313}} Basil himself was unmarried{{sfn|Sewter|1953|pp=29–30}} and childless,{{sfn|Brubaker|Tougher|2016|p=313}}{{sfn|Sewter|1953|pp=29–30}} and his brother [[Constantine VIII]]'s three daughters—Eudokia, [[Zoë Porphyrogenita|Zoë]] and [[Theodora Porphyrogenita|Theodora]]—all remained childless as well.{{sfn|Brubaker|Tougher|2016|p=313}}}} so he was succeeded by his brother Constantine and his family, who proved to be ineffective rulers. Nevertheless, fifty years of prosperity and intellectual growth followed because the funds of state were full, the borders were safe from intruders, and the Empire remained the most powerful political entity of the age. At the end of Basil II's reign, the Byzantine Empire had a population of approximately 12 million people.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=570}}

Although they were beneficial, Basil's achievements were reversed very quickly. Many of the Georgian, Armenian and Fatimid campaigns were undone after the succession crisis and eventual civil war after the [[Battle of Manzikert]] in 1071.{{sfn|Holmes|2005|p=206}} Because many of the empire's governors went to the capital with their soldiers to seize power after the capture of emperor [[Romanos IV]],{{sfn|Holmes|2005|p=203}} the Anatolian frontier was largely left undefended against the [[Seljuk Empire]].{{sfn|Mango|2002|p=310}} The [[Normans]] permanently pushed the Byzantines from Southern Italy in April 1071.{{sfn|Mango|2002|p=189}}

===Modern views and depictions in literature===
[[File:Seal of the Greek-Macedonian Committee.jpg|thumb|Seal of the [[Macedonian Committee|Greek Macedonian Committee]] during the [[Macedonian Struggle|Greek Struggle for Macedonia]], depicting Basil II (front) and [[Alexander the Great]]]]

* Bulgarian commentator Alexander Kiossev wrote in ''Understanding the Balkans'': "The hero [of] a nation might be the villain of its neighbour&nbsp;... The Byzantine emperor Basil the Murderer of Bulgarians, a crucial Greek pantheon figure, is no less important as [a] subject of hatred for our national mythology".{{sfn|Kiossev|2000}} During the 20th century in Greece, interest in Basil II led to a number of biographies and historical novels about him. One of these is ''Basil Bulgaroktonos'' (1964) by historical fiction writer {{ill|Kostas Kyriazis|el|Κώστας Κυριαζής}}. Written as a sequel to his previous work ''Theophano'' (1963) which focuses on Basil's mother, it examines Basil's life through three fictional narrators and has been continuously reprinted since 1964.{{sfn|Kyriazis|1964}} [[Rosemary Sutcliff]]'s 1976 historical fiction novel ''[[Blood Feud (novel)|Blood Feud]]'' depicts Basil II from the point of view of a member of his recently created Varangian Guard.{{sfn|Sutcliff|1976}}
* [[Penelope Delta]]'s second novel ''[[Ton Kairo tou Voulgaroktonou]]'' (''In the Years of the Bulgar-Slayer''){{sfn|Beaton|1999|p=103}} is also set during the reign of Basil II.{{sfn|Stephenson|2000|p=120}} It was inspired by correspondence with the historian [[Gustave Schlumberger]], a renowned specialist on the Byzantine Empire, and published in the early years of the 20th century, a time when the [[Struggle for Macedonia]] again set Greeks and Bulgarians in bitter enmity with each other.{{sfn|Danforth|1998}} 
*[[Ion Dragoumis]], who was Delta's lover and was deeply involved in that struggle, in 1907 published the book ''[[Martyron kai Iroon Aima]]'' (''Martyrs' and Heroes' Blood''), which is resentful towards anything remotely Bulgarian. He urges Greeks to follow the example of Basil II: "Instead of blinding so many people, Basil should have better killed them instead. On one hand these people would not suffer as eyeless survivors, on the other the sheer number of Bulgarians would have diminished by 15 000, which is something very useful." Later in the book, Dragoumis foresees the appearance of "new Basils" who would "cross the entire country and will look for Bulgarians in mountains, caves, villages and forests and will make them flee in refuge or kill them".{{sfn|Dragoumis|1907}}
* Basil Basileus is a comic book series by [[Theocharis Spyros]] and [[Chrysa Sakel]]. The plot and illustration is based on academic bibliography. The story is set in the early years of Basil II, from the time of [[John I Tzimiskes]] and the formation of the [[Varangian Guard]] until the final years of Basil II.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.byzantinetales.com/basilbasileus | title=Basil Basileus }}</ref>