Map of the Byzantine Empire 1025 AD

At the death of the Emperor Basil II in 1025, Byzantium was at the apex of its medieval power. The ninth century had first seen Greece re-conquered and brought under regular Byzantine control. Then, the balance of power on the eastern frontier had slowly but decisively shifted in Byzantium's favour, with tables turned upon the declining Abbasid Caliphate and the Arab 'raiding emirates'. Finally, Basil himself had prevailed in brutal conflict with the Bulgars and once again extended Byzantium's borders to the Danube. For the first time in its long history, Byzantium appeared to face no significant threat from any quarter.