Basil II of Constantinople (''Basil Kamateros'' ; died after 1186) was the

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople, archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox ...

from August 1183 to February 1186. Basil was a member of the

Kamateros The Kamateros family (, pl. ''Kamateroi'' ; Latinized respectively Camaterus, Camateri), was a Byzantine family of functionaries from Constantinople that became prominent in the 10th–12th centuries. Several family members were scholars and litera ...

family, which provided a number of leading officials in the 12th century. He initially served under Emperor

Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos (; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized as Comnenus, also called Porphyrogenitus (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history o ...

(r. 1143–1180) as a diplomat, but after a disastrous mission in Italy, he fell out of favour and was banished. His fortunes revived under Emperor

Andronikos I Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos (; – 12 September 1185), Latinized as Andronicus I Comnenus, was Byzantine emperor from 1183 to 1185. A nephew of John II Komnenos (1118–1143), Andronikos rose to fame in the reign of his cousin Manuel I Komne ...

(r. 1183–1185), who had also been exiled by Manuel I. At the time, Andronikos I was having trouble with Patriarch

Theodosius I of Constantinople Theodosius I of Constantinople (Borradiotes ; died after 1183) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople, archbishop of Constantinople ...

, who opposed the emperor on a number of issues. These were the projected marriage of his illegitimate daughter Eirene to

Alexios II Komnenos Alexios II Komnenos (; 14 September 1169, p. 383September 1183), Latinized Alexius II Comnenus, was Byzantine emperor from 1180 to 1183. He ascended to the throne as a minor. For the duration of his short reign, the imperial power was '' de fa ...

, the illegitimate son of Manuel I, although they were close relatives, as well as the expulsion of the

Empress dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother; ) is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a monarch, especially in regards to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese monarchs in the Chines ...

Maria of Antioch Maria of Antioch (; 1145–1182) was a Byzantine empress by marriage to Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, and regent during the minority of her son porphyrogennetos Alexios II Komnenos from 1180 until 1182. Early life Maria of Antioch wa ...

from the

Great Palace The Great Palace of Constantinople (, ''Méga Palátion''; ), also known as the Sacred Palace (, ''Hieròn Palátion''; ), was the large imperial Byzantine palace complex located in the south-eastern end of the peninsula today making up the Fati ...

. Theodosius I was forced to abdicate and replaced by Basil II. Basil II immediately complied with Andronikos I's wishes, clearing the path for the marriage and even absolving the murderers of the young emperor

(r. 1180–1183). After Andronikos I was overthrown and executed in September 1185 however, Basil II failed to ingratiate himself with the new emperor

Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos or Angelus (; September 1156 – 28 January 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195, and co-Emperor with his son Alexios IV Angelos from 1203 to 1204. In a 1185 revolt against the Emperor Andronikos Komnenos, Isaac ...

(r. 1185–1195 and 1203–1204), despite officiating at his coronation. He was deposed and condemned by a

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

for his approval of Eirene's and Alexios II's marriage. Nothing further is known of him after that.

Notes and references

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Basil 02 Of Constantinople 12th-century births 1180s deaths Year of death unknown 12th-century patriarchs of Constantinople Kamateros family