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This video is a commentary of mine on Basil II (r. 976-1025), one of the most renowned Byzantine emperors both as a warrior and statesman. Basil II is possibly the next most famous Byzantine emperor after Justinian I the Great (r. 527-565) and his reign had achieved a lot for Byzantium. His reign saw the Byzantine Empire at its height as a military and cultural superpower of the Middle Ages all while its borders greatly expanded especially due to Basil's conquest of the Bulgarian Empire which was thus annexed into Byzantium. Aside from his famous conquests, Basil II too was a great reformer and politician whose reign saw the empire undergo major reforms and developments. As an overall commander and administrator at the same time, Basil II's rule was a highly active one which thus makes him the best example of what a Byzantine emperor is. In this video, I will go over 10 surprising facts about the life and reign of the legendary Basil II and if you have any thoughts about him or suggestions, please leave it in the comments.

00:00 Intro
01:38 His Reign was Longer than You Think
03:15 He did not Rule Independently until Later in Life
05:08 He Established the Legendary Varangian Guard Unit
06:42 His Physical Appearance and Personality
08:15 His Campaigns Against the Arabs
09:35 His Campaigns Against Bulgaria
10:55 His Conquest of Bulgaria
12:26 His Campaigns Against Georgia
13:47 His Military and Social Reforms
15:09 He Never Married
16:54 Extro and Credits

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Video produced/ written/ narrated by Powee Celdran
This video contains artworks depicting the Byzantine Empire from various online artists (notably @byzansimp and @byzantinetales)