BASIL I. (d. 886), known as the "MACEDONIAN," Roman emperor in the East, was born of a family of Armenian (not Sla vonic) descent, settled in Macedonia. He spent a part of his boy hood in captivity in Bulgaria, whither his family was carried by the Bulgarian prince Krum in 813, but returned to Constantinople, where he ultimately became the favourite of Michael III., and was appointed chamberlain (parakoemomenos). To please his master he divorced his wife and married a mistress of Michael, Eudocia Ingerina. In April 866, with Michael's consent, he mur dered the powerful Caesar Bardas, and a few weeks later was made emperor. In Sept. 867 he caused Michael to be assassi nated, and reigned alone. On the throne this unprincipled adven turer showed his exceptional capacities for administration. He inaugurated a new age in the history of the empire, associated with the dynasty which he founded—"the Macedonian dynasty" it is usually called ; it would be more instructive to call it "Ar menian." It was a period of territorial expansion, during which the empire was the strongest power in Europe. The great legis lative work which Basil undertook and his successor completed, and which may be described as a revival of Justinianean law, en titles him to the designation of a second Justinian (the Basilica, a collection of laws in 6o books; and the manuals known as the Prochiron and Epanagoge. For this legislation see BASILICA and ROMAN EMPIRE, LATER). His financial administration was pru dent. His ecclesiastical policy was marked by a wish to keep on good terms with Rome. One of his first acts was to exile the pa triarch Photius and restore his rival Ignatius, whose claims were supported by the pope. Yet he had no intention of yielding to Rome's pretensions beyond a certain point. The decision of the Bulgarian tsar Michael to submit the new Bulgarian Church to the jurisdiction of Constantinople was a blow to Rome. In 877 Photius became patriarch again, and there was a virtual breach with Rome. Thus the independence of the Greek Church may be said to date from the time of Basil. His reign was marked by a troublesome war with the Paulician heretics, an inheritance from his predecessor; the death of their able chief Chrysochir led to the definite subjection of this little state, of which the chief stronghold was Tephrice on the upper Euphrates, and which the Saracens had helped to bid a long defiance to the government of Constantinople. There was the usual frontier warfare with the Saracens in Asia Minor. Cyprus was recovered but only retained for seven years. Syracuse was lost but Bari was won back and those parts of Calabria which had been occupied by the Saracens. The last successes opened a new period of Byzantine domination in southern Italy. Above all, New Rome was again mistress of the sea, and especially of the gates of the Adriatic. Basil died on Aug. 29, 886. He is one of the most remarkable examples of a man, without education and exposed to the most demoralizing influences, manifesting extraordinary talents in the government of a great state, when he had climbed to the throne by acts of unscrupulous bloodshed.