Editing Basil I (section)

{{short description|Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886}}
{{other people||Basil I (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Basil I
| image        = Roman Emperor Basil I.png
| caption      = Underdrawing of Basil I in the [[Paris Gregory]], {{circa}} 879–883{{sfn|Brubaker|1999|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LAUMM3cU_UoC&pg=RA1-PA6 6], [https://books.google.com/books?id=LAUMM3cU_UoC&pg=PA152 152–162]}}
| succession   = [[Byzantine emperor]]
| reign        = 24 September 867 –<br/>29 August 886
| predecessor  = [[Michael III]]
| successor    = [[Leo VI the Wise|Leo VI]]
| queen        = [[Eudokia Ingerina]]
| spouse 1     = Maria
| spouse 2     = [[Eudokia Ingerina]]
| issue        = [[Constantine (son of Basil I)|Constantine]]<br/>[[Alexander (Byzantine emperor)|Emperor Alexander]]<br/>[[Leo VI the Wise|Emperor Leo VI]]{{efn|May have actually been [[Michael III]]'s son.|name = pat}}<br/>[[Stephen I of Constantinople|Patriarch Stephen I]]{{efn|name = pat}}
| issue-link   = #Family
| issue-pipe   = Among others
| dynasty      = [[Macedonian dynasty|Macedonian]]
| regnal name  = {{langx|grc|Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ Βασίλειος Αὐγουστος|[[Autokrator|Autokrátōr]] [[Caesar (title)|Kaîsar]] Basíleios [[Augustus (title)|Aúgoustos]]}}{{efn|Full title attested to in the [[Prochiron]]: Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ Βασίλειος εὐτυχής εὐσεβής εὐτυχής ἔνδοξος νικητής τροπαιοῦχος, ἀεισέβαστος πιστός αὐγουστος ("Autokrator Caesar Basil fortunate, pious, renowned, victorious, triumphant, ever-venerable, faithful Augustus").<ref>P. Zepos 1931 ''Leges Imperatorum Isaurorum et Macedonum'' p. 114.</ref>}}
| coronation   = 26 May 866 (as co-emperor)
| cor-type     = [[Coronation of the Byzantine emperor|Coronation]]
| reg-type     = Co-emperor
| regent       = [[Constantine (son of Basil I)|Constantine]] (868–879)<br/>[[Leo VI the Wise|Leo VI]] (870–886)<br/>[[Alexander (Byzantine emperor)|Alexander]] (879–886)
| father       = Bardas/Constantine
| mother       = Pankalo
| birth_date   = Late 811
| birth_place  = [[Chariopolis]], [[Macedonia (theme)|Macedonia]], [[Byzantine Empire]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|29 August 886|811|df=y}}
| religion     = [[Chalcedonian Christianity]] 
| death_place  = 
| date of burial = 
| place of burial = 
| title        = [[List of Byzantine emperors|Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans]]
}}
'''Basil I''', nicknamed "'''the Macedonian'''" ({{langx|grc|Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών|Basíleios ō Makedṓn}}; 811 – 29 August 886), was [[List of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine emperor]] from 867 to 886. Born to a peasant family in [[Macedonia (theme)|Macedonia]], he rose to prominence in the imperial court after gaining the favour of Emperor [[Michael III]], whose [[Eudokia Ingerina|mistress]] he married on his emperor's orders. In 866, Michael proclaimed him co-emperor. Fearing a loss of influence, Basil orchestrated Michael's assassination the next year and installed himself as sole ruler of the empire. He was the first ruler of the [[Macedonian dynasty]].

Despite his humble origins, Basil was an effective and respected monarch. He initiated a complete overhaul of Byzantine law, an effort continued by his successor that ultimately became the ''[[Basilika]]''. On the foreign front, he achieved military success against the heretical [[Paulicianism|Paulicians]], whom he subjugated in 872. He also pursued an active policy in the west, allying with Carolingian emperor [[Louis II of Italy|Louis II]] against the Arabs, which led to a new period of Byzantine domination in Italy. Upon his death in a hunting accident in 886, he was succeeded by his son [[Leo VI the Wise|Leo VI]], also rumoured to have been the son of Michael III.