TBA
September 24
Speaker: TBA (Judge Cardenas will not be available September 24)

Basil II
October 8
Son of Romanus and the spectacular Theophano, Basil ascended the throne as a teenager and ruled for half a century—the longest reign in Roman history. Showing no interest in ceremony, court protocol, jewelry and silk robes, he devoted himself to a single cause—war. The greatest of the soldier-emperors, he is best known for his brutal conquest of Bulgaria and the annexation of these vast territories to the Later Roman Empire. With no time for a wife, he never married and failed to sire an heir. When his people began to suspect he was immortal, he died on Christmas day of natural causes in 1025 A.D.

Basil II
October 22
Continuing the reign from October 8

Basil II
November 5
Continuing the reign from October 22

Constantine VIII
November 19
Constantine was Basil II’s brother. An honorary co-emperor, in reality he had little to do while his elder sibling was achieving great glory for the empire. He used his time to develop an expertise in culinary matters, and when not eating, played dice. In a short reign of three years he managed to diminish the marvelous accomplishments of Basil II, and spent vast sums carefully saved by his brother. As he lay dying, he designated his woefully unprepared daughter—Zoe, as his heir.

Zoe
December 10
A single woman of remarkable beauty in her forties, Zoe, while well-intentioned, proved to be a frivolous and unenergetic ruler who spent most of her time looking serene and indulging in her favorite hobby of concocting new perfumes. She attempted marriage three times, but all her efforts to find a loyal and loving husband ended badly. As death approached, she became consumed with piety and died in her early seventies.