Which Byzantine Emperor do you consider to be the greatest?

[poiuytrewq0987]

Which emperor do you think stood out the most and helped achieve technological and cultural advancements and was successful in the stabilization of the Empire?

[Loki]

There is no question in my mind. It can only be Justinian the Great. No-one else even comes close.

And he was a Balkanoid of Thracian origins.

[The Journeyman]

I agree, but I think he owed a lot of his success to his top general, Belisarius.

[poiuytrewq0987]

There is no question in my mind. It can only be Justinian the Great. No-one else even comes close.

And he was a Balkanoid of Thracian origins.

Justinian was certainily great but far too ambitious. Times had changed, there was no room for such empire that once spanned three continents. Justinian I should have spent his energies in fortifying Egypt and Anatolia and to a lesser extent the defenses on the Danube. He wasted a lot of resources, gold and manpower in dreams of grandeur. Had he fortified the mentioned locations instead then he would have easily neutralized the growth of Arab caliphates from the very start by keeping them trapped in their wasteland peninsula.

[Loki]

Justinian was certainily great but far too ambitious. Times had changed, there was no room for such empire that once spanned three continents. Justinian I should have spent his energies in fortifying Egypt and Anatolia and to a lesser extent the defenses on the Danube. He wasted a lot of resources, gold and manpower in dreams of grandeur. Had he fortified the mentioned locations instead then he would have easily neutralized the growth of Arab caliphates from the very start by keeping them trapped in their wasteland peninsula.

He was unfortunate in that a major natural disaster - the plague - took a massive toll on his empire and probably led to its eventual demise.

[poiuytrewq0987]

He was unfortunate in that a major natural disaster - the plague - took a massive toll on his empire and probably led to its eventual demise.

The plague was certainily decisive in hurting Justinian's achievements but even then without the plague his armies were still overstretched unable to defend all of its reconquests.

My vote goes to Alexios Komnenus for triggering the Komnenian Restoration and the crusades.

[Monolith]

There is no question in my mind. It can only be Justinian the Great. No-one else even comes close.

I agree that Justinian's great success in reconquering the significant portion of the previously lost West was admirable, but I think Alexius Comnenus' performance was even more impressive, given his situation was arguably more dire than Justinian's.

[poiuytrewq0987]

I agree that Justinian's great success in reconquering the significant portion of the previously lost West was admirable, but I think Alexius Comnenus' performance was even more impressive, given his situation was arguably more dire than Justinian's.

Most definitely. He was a man of high caliber that managed to save the Empire from falling even earlier by leading military successes and triggering a mini-Renaissance in the Empire. In addition, his call for aid to the Pope was the catalyst that shaped contemporary history since his call essentially began a crusade of many helping stave off Turks and Arabs for a while longer. I just wish the Crusaders and the Byzantine Empire worked harder to unify their efforts in permanently kicking out the Turks and decimate the Arab powerbase in Alexandria (which ironically would be still in Byzantine hands if Justinian didn't go off reconquering what was already lost).

[Basileus]

Justinian managed to restore some of the West but left the treasury empty. Alexios Komnenos, John Tzimiskes, John Vatatzes, Basil II. All of those are good candidates.

[Papastratosels26]

Basil Ii