Leo VI the Wise
A Byzantine emperor whose intellectual reign codified laws and fostered a cultural revival, even as his armies faced relentless threats.
Born 866 (age 1160)·Byzantine emperor from 886 to 912·Birthday: September 19
Biography
Leo VI's Constantinople was a city of scholars and siege engines. Inheriting the Byzantine throne in 886, he was a ruler deeply at odds with his era. A true philosopher-king, 'the Wise' presided over a flourishing of literature, law, and theology, personally composing hymns and orations. His most enduring legacy is the Basilika, a monumental codification of Roman law in Greek that streamlined a millennium of legal tradition. Yet, his reign was marred by military catastrophe—devastating losses to the Bulgarians and Arabs that shrunk imperial borders. His tumultuous personal life, including four marriages that sparked a major church controversy, further complicated his rule. Leo's story is one of a brilliant mind struggling to govern an empire under existential pressure.
#1 When Leo Was Born
The biggest hits of 866
Leo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
866Born
871Started school
879Became a teenager
882Could drive
884Could vote
887Turned 21
896Turned 30
906Turned 40
916Turned 50
926Turned 60
936Turned 70
946Turned 80
2026Age 1160 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Oversaw the completion and enactment of the Basilika, a comprehensive 60-volume Greek recodification of all Roman law.
- Authored numerous theological works, military treatises, and poems, earning his enduring epithet 'the Wise'.
- Successfully defended Constantinople against a Rus' siege in 907, though through diplomacy and payment of tribute.
- His reign saw the final abolition of the separate, ancient Roman office of consul, marking a symbolic end of the old Roman state.
Did You Know?
He was allegedly the son of the emperor Basil I and his mistress Eudokia Ingerina, who was also the mistress of Basil's predecessor, Michael III.
His four marriages caused a major schism with the Church, known as the 'Tetragamy' dispute, as canon law forbade a third marriage.
Many of the hymns he composed are still used in the Eastern Orthodox Church today.
He was captured by the Arabs during a campaign in his youth, before becoming emperor, and was held for some time in Tarsus.
“A city that is divided against itself cannot stand.”
