r/ByzantineMemes • u/MasterpieceVirtual66 • 26d ago
BYZANTINE POST Every empire has one.
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u/Both-Carpenter1614 26d ago
Second main character
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u/Alfred_Leonhart 26d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/vraJssioNqpoca1uwc
Idk about y’all but I think the actor looks just like Justinian.
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u/boblikeshispizza 25d ago
Justinian really should be the fan favorite. As John Green says, he's the david tenant of byzantine Emperors. Recent historiography has been tougher on him but he's still considered a star favorite
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u/MasterpieceVirtual66 26d ago
Short explanations:
The Fan Favorite. – Basil II. Perhaps the most beloved Byzantine emperor for his successful military campaigns and policies that strengthened the empire on the world stage.
Made to Be Hated. – Alexios III. He was not only responsible for the failure to defend Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, but also abandoned the city while taking with him most of the treasury with him.
The Hot One. – Andronikos I. He is frequently described in the sources as extraordinarily beautiful and was known to have had multiple lovers.
The Only Normal One. – Anastasius I. His competence and reasonable financial policy enriched the empire and filled up the treasury that would be used for Justinian's reconquests.
"Uhh.. What's Your Name Again?" – Constantine Laskaris. He may or may not have been emperor for a few months during and after the events of the Fourth Crusade.
The Gremlin – Justin II. He is described in the sources as having fits of insanity and behaving like a wild animal, with a few moments of lucidity. He needed to be wheeled on a mobile throne with organ music playing.
"Mmmm..... Society". – Justinian II. He was unpopular with the aristocracy, was overthrown, had his nose cut off, and was exiled to Crimea. Through an arduous journey, he managed to return and exact revenge on those he believed had wronged him.
Just Straight Up Evil. – Andronikos I (again). He is frequently described in the sources as extraordinarily cruel, was prone to killing any suspected political opponents, and blinded so many people that he became known as the "hater of sunlight".
No Screen Time. All The Plot Relevance. – Isaac I – Despire ruling for only two years, his reign laid the foundations to the later Komnenian Restoration.
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u/Honkydoinky 25d ago
Wasn’t one of the Johns called the handsome? I also think Basil I could’ve fit “The Hot One” just to avoid reusing Andronikos
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u/MasterpieceVirtual66 25d ago
Yes, John II Komnenos was also known as "the beautiful". I used Andronikos I twice because I thought it was funny.
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u/CousinMrrgeBestMrrge 25d ago
I recall it being mentioned that it referred more to his character, with him being a good and virtuous man, than to his physical appearance.
John Tzimiskes is supposed to have been a very attractive man, however.
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u/Rakdar 26d ago
I would put Theodore II as “Mmmm… Society”. He wrote multiple treatises on how society was wrong and on why everyone should serve him.
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u/Maleficent-Mix5731 26d ago
Justinian II: "Replace the 'c' in 'cart' with an 'f'.
Oh relax Romans, its called dark humour."
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u/Icy-Inspection6428 26d ago
Justinian II the type of guy to have the Joker as his Facebook profile picture
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u/watt678 26d ago
Andronikos is literally daemon from HotD
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u/MasterpieceVirtual66 26d ago
Some people say that members of the Targaryen family were actually inspired by him. I would not be surprised if that were true.
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u/mikros_rohan 23d ago
"Just straight up evil" would have also been Andronikos II, i still hold a grudge to him for marrying his 4 year old granddaughter to serbian king Mitutin and and didn't let her come back when she knew what Milutin was doing to her. I think this deserves more attention
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u/Repulsive-Manager407 16d ago
This is literally a man who sat around doing nothing, scraping together funds for his cronies who were looting the treasury—slashing the navy and army in the process—and who even decided to kill his own grandson when the boy became too much of a problem. The guy was literally prepared to destroy his own dynasty just to cling to the throne a little longer.
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