Definition

Noun: 1. A ruler of the eastern Roman Empire: The title used for an emperor or sovereign in the Byzantine Empire, the Greek-speaking continuation of the Roman Empire in the East during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The basileus held both secular and religious authority in Constantinople.
  • As basileus, Justinian I sought to reconquer the lost western territories of the Roman Empire.
  • The ceremony for crowning a new basileus was elaborate and deeply symbolic.

Advanced Usage

• "Basileus Basileon": Meaning "King of Kings," an even more exalted title occasionally used by Byzantine emperors to emphasize their supreme authority.
  • The emperor adopted the title "Basileus Basileon" to assert his dominance over neighboring rulers.
• "Basileus kai Autokrator": Meaning "Emperor and Autocrat," a formal title combining the Greek "basileus" with the Roman "autokrator" to denote absolute, sole rule.
  • Official documents referred to the sovereign as "Basileus kai Autokrator" of the Romans.

Variants and Related Words

• Basileia (n): The office, reign, or kingdom of a basileus; empire.
  • The stability of the basileia depended on the strength of the emperor.
• Basilissa (n): The title for an empress consort or reigning empress in the Byzantine Empire.
  • The basilissa Theodora was a powerful and influential figure.

Synonyms

• Emperor: The sovereign ruler of an empire.
• Sovereign: A supreme ruler, especially a monarch.
• Autocrat: A ruler who has absolute power.

Notes on Meaning

• The term basileus is specifically historical and refers to the Byzantine context. It is not a general term for "king" in modern English, though its ancient Greek root (βασιλεύς) had that meaning.
• It distinguishes the Byzantine emperor from the Western Roman Emperor (often referred to as "Imperator" or "Augustus") and from later medieval kings in Europe.

Noun

1. a ruler of the eastern Roman Empire