Alexander
Alexander was the younger brother of Leo VI who served as co-emperor throughout his brother's reign but exercised no real power. When Leo died in June 912, Alexander became sole emperor and guardian of the young Constantine VII. His sole reign lasted barely a year, from June 912 to June 913, and was characterized by petulance and poor judgment. One of his first acts was to dismiss Leo VI's advisors. Most damagingly, when Bulgar emissaries arrived to renew the peace treaty, Alexander arrogantly insulted them and sent them away without the promised tribute, an act of diplomatic recklessness that directly triggered the devastating Bulgarian campaigns that followed. He reportedly spent much of his short reign on debauchery and died in June 913 from exhaustion after a vigorous polo match, leaving the seven-year-old Constantine VII under the regency of a council headed by the patriarch Nicholas. His legacy consists primarily of the crises he created by his diplomatic failure with Bulgaria.
- Lived: 870 CE – 913 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state
