2019-07-29 Mon

Basil II also known as Slayer of the Bulgars was Byzantine Emperor for almost 50years, from 976 to 1025 AD. He extended imperial rule in the Balkans (Bulgaria), Mesopotamia, Georgia, and Armenia and increased his domestic authority by attacking the powerful landed interests of the military aristocracy and of the church.

When he ascended the throne in 976, he made the destruction of independent Bulgaria his first ambition. Opposing him were the Western Bulgarians, now led by Samuel of Bulgaria.

On July 29, 1014, The Battle of Kleidion took place between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire. It was the culmination of the near half-century struggle between the Byzantine Emperor Basil II and the Bulgarian Emperor Samuil in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. The result was a decisive Byzantine victory.

Depicted here is gold Histamenon Nomisma issued under the reign of Basil II from Constantinople mint. The obverse of a coin depicts the bust of Christ Pantocrator facing, wearing cruciform nimbus with annulets in upper quarters, pallium, and colobium, raising a right hand in benediction, a book of Gospels cradled in the left arm. The reverse of a coin represents crowned facing busts of Basil II, bearded, wearing loros of round pattern and being crowned from above by manus Die, and Constantine, beardless, wearing jeweled chlamys pinned at the right shoulder, jointly holding long cross between them.

Image Source: Heritage Auctions