Case 2.4

How Basil II doomed Byzantium

2026.06.15 22:22

Byzantine Talks

0:00 22:22

Basil II left the Byzantine Empire at its absolute territorial and financial zenith in 1025. However, he unintentionally laid the groundwork for its collapse by failing to secure a clear successor, actively dismantling vital provincial defense systems, and directly absorbing buffer states that had previously shielded the empire from devastating invasions.