TENTH CENTURY CHRONOLOGY

893 ca.-927 Reign of Khan Symeon of Bulgaria
896    Magyars arrive in Carpathian Basin
900     Leo marries Eudokia
901     Eudokia dies
901     Death of Patriarch Anthony Kauleas, election of Nicholas, previously imperial secretary, mystikos
902     Leo installs his mistress Zoe in the imperial palace
902/3-32 Arethas, archbishop of Caesarea
904   Arabs sack Thessalonike
904 ca. Peace treaty with Bulgaria negotiated by Leo Choirosphaktes
905     Birth of Constantine, son of Leo and Zoe
906     Baptism of Constantine, Leo marries Zoe, proclaimed Augusta, empress; patriarchal synod condemns Leo for marrying  a fourth time; Leo VI appeals to Rome and eastern Patriarchs
907    Rome and the eastern Patriarchs support Leo VI, who forces
Patriarch Nicholas to abdicate and appoints Euthymios
911    Constantine crowned co-emperor
912    Death of Leo VI, succeeded by brother Alexander and son Constantine VII aged 6
913    Death of Alexander, Council of Regency for Constantine headed by Patriarch Nicholas mystikos; 'Coronation' of Tsar (Khan) Symeon outside Constantinople
913-4  Empress Zoe returns to palace to protect Constantine
914-9  Attacks by Arabs
917    Byzantine surprise attack on Symeon, major Bulgarian victory at Anchialos
918    Arabs capture Reggio in Calabria
919    Romanos Lekapenos, naval commander, takes control of palace; assumes title of basileopater and marries his daughter Helen to Constantine; empress Zoe relegated to a monastery
920    "Tomos" of Union pronounced by Patriarch Nicholas; fourth marriage condemned
920   Romanos named Caesar, then crowned emperor by Patriarch Nicholas
921   Romanos I crowns his son Christopher co-emperor
922   Bulgar attack on Constantinople
923   Bulgar invasion of Thrace
924   Symeon makes Arab alliance to attack Constantinople; threat resolved by Byzantine diplomacy and peace treaty
924  Romanos crowns his sons Constantine and Stephen co-emperors
925  Symeon declares himself emperor of the Bulgars and the Romans
925   Death of Patriarch Nicholas
926   Arab Emir of Sicily subjects maritime cities of southern Italy to Muslim tribute
926 Symeon obtains recognition of his title from Rome
927  Death of Symeon, his son Peter makes peace with Byzantium, alliance secured his marriage to Maria, daughter of Romanos I
927- ca. 967 Reign of Khan (Tsar) Peter of Bulgaria
927-8 Serious Byzantine-Arab conflicts on the eastern borders
931   Death of Christopher Lekapenos
933   Election of Theophilatos, son of Romanos I, as patriarch
939-44 Further series of Byzantine-Arab conflicts; Byzantine capture of Edessa and transfer of Mandylion to Constantinople
941  Russian Prince Igor leads attack on Constantinople
944  Second Russian attack on Constantinople, avoided by diplomatic actions and commercial treaty
944 Constantine and Stephen Lekapenos revolt against their father; deport Romanos I into exile, where he becomes a monk; dies 948
945  Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos removes the Lekapenoi brothers from power and rules alone, 944-59
945  Constantine VII's son Romanos crowned co-emperor
947-9  Byzantine embassy to Muslim Spain
948   Liutprand, bishop of Cremona, sent by Count Berengar of Italy to Constantinople
948-9  Further Byzantine conquests on Euphrates in East
950-7  Arab counter-offensive in the East, checked by John Tzimiskes
954 ca. Completion of the treatise known as De Administrando Imperio
956-8  Byzantine campaign in southern Italy, truce with Arab Sicily
957    Visit of Olga of Russia, widow of Prince Igor to Constantinople; discussion about Christian missions to Russia
958    Appearance of Magyars (Hungarians) in Thrace
959    Death of Constantine VII, succeeded by his son Romanos II
960    Romanos crowns his son Basil co-emperor
960    Reconquest of Crete by general Nikephoros Phokas, triumphal return to Constantinople
962    Nikephoros Phokas leads reconquest of Anazarbos, the Euphrates frontier and captures Aleppo in Syria
963    Death of Romanos II; his widow Theophano claims the regency for her
sons Basil and Constantine (four months)
963    Nikephoros Phokas acclaimed emperor by troops in Cappadocia, marches on Constantinople, crowned emperor by patriarch
963    Nikephoros II marries Theophano and reigns with Basil and Constantine, co-emperors
963    John Tzimiskes takes refuge with the Emir of Tarsos
964-5  Nikephoros II campaigns in the East, captures Adana and Tarsos; celebrates triumph in Constantinople
966-7  Nikephoros II's second campaign to Syria and Mesopotamia
967    Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, allies with Lombards in southern Italy and threatens Byzantine territory in Calabria
967    Nikephoros II makes peace treaty with Emir of Sicily
967-9  Liutprand's second embassy to Constantinople, sent by Otto I to find a Byzantine bride for Otto's son
967-8  Nikephoros II allies with Russian Prince Sviatoslav, Olga's son, campaigns against the Bulgars
968-9    Third campaign against Syria, celebrated in triumph
969    Sviatoslav conquers large parts of Bulgaria and captures Boris II; Nikephoros allies with Bulgars against Russians
969    Nikephoros II assassinated by John Tzimiskes, proclaimed emperor and crowned by patriarch, with Basil and Constantine co-emperors
970    Sviatoslav prepares attack on Constantinople
970    John I Tzimiskes confirms alliance with Otto I, sends his niece Theophano to marry Otto's son
971  John I campaigns against Sviatoslav, besieges him at Dristra, and forces a peace settlement; Sviatoslav murdered by Pechenegs en route to Kiev
972    John I reconquers Nisibis and Martyropolis in East
972    Marriage of Theophano and Otto II celebrated in Rome
974    Second major campaign in the East, conquests celebrated by a triumph in Constantinople (975)
975    Third victorious eastern campaign of John I, who dies of malaria
975    Basil II and Constantine VIII acclaimed emperors under the guidance of Basil the parakoimomenos, illegitimate son of Romanos I Lekapenos
976-9  Revolt of Bardas Skleros against Basil II
981-3  Otto II invades Byzantine Apulia, in southern Italy, but retires to Rome and dies there (983)
985    Basil II removes Basil Lekapenos, parakoimomenos, Basil II and Constantine VIII reign alone
986    First campaign of Basil II against Samuel, who has secured control of much of northeastern Balkans (centred on Prespa in modern Republic of Macedonia)
986-9  Revolt of Bardas Skleros against Basil II, who makes alliance with Vladimir of Kiev
989    Basil marries his sister Anna to Vladimir, the conversion of the Russians begins
991-4   Second Bulgarian campaign, Basil II reconquers Berroia
992     Commercial treaty with Venice
995     Basil II campaigns in the East
995-8   Samuel of Bulgaria invades Greece
997 ca. Samuel proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria
996     Theophano, regent for Otto III, sends embassy to Byzantium for a marriage alliance
999     Basil II conquers Homs in Syria, winters in Tarsos
ca. 1000  Death of Saint Athanasios, founder of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos (first monastery on the Holy Mountain)
1000-1  Basil II campaigns against Armenia and Georgia
1001    Peace treaty between Byzantium and the Fatimid Caliph establishes peace on the eastern frontier
 

31 October 1998