6. Basil I Usurped the Throne and Nearly Blinded His Son
Basil was born into humble conditions in the Byzantine Empire. He later disputed his peasant parentage by creating an elaborate genealogy that connected him to the great kings of Armenia and even Emperor Constantine of Rome, but that was after he had deposed the king and usurped the throne. First things first: his early years are unclear, mainly because he tried to change his own history. However, at some point, Basil I earned the attention of Michael III, then the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. He convinced the emperor that his uncle, Bardas, was anxious to get the throne for himself, then killed Bardas with the emperor’s blessing.
The following year, when Basil became concerned that his position of influence with the emperor was being undermined, he organized the emperor’s assassination and usurped the throne. Still, Basil harbored rage and resentment against the late Michael III. He raised his oldest sons to the position of co-emperor, but his son Leo did not earn his favor. Far from it. In fact, Basil suspected that Leo was the illegitimate child of Michael and even imprisoned him. Public riots forced him to release his son, but he then contemplated blinding him. Fortunately, he was dissuaded from doing this. However, Leo’s resentment against his father lasted after he took the throne: he reburied the remains of Michael III.