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Territorially the East Roman, or Byzantine, Empire was at its height at the end of the reign of the Emperor Justinian I (527 - 565 A.D.).

Called "The Great", Justinian presided over an aggressive foreign policy; the chief goal of which was to restore to Imperial rule the lost territories of the Western Roman Empire. Largely due to the extraordinary talents of his two principal generals, Belisarius and Narsus, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, southern Spain were recovered.

However, Justinian's policies left the empire overstretched and bankrupt. After his death, most of Italy was lost to the Lombards; who took advantage of the Byzantines lack of support amongst the Italian population.

Militarily, the Byzantine Empire was at its height in the first decades of the 11th century A.D., during the reign of the emperor Basil II ("The Bulgar Slayer"). His reign was the culmination of 150 years of active and largely successful campaigning by the soldier-emperors of the Macedonian Dynasty; which included Basil I, Nikephoros Phocus, and John Tzimiskes.

The Macedonians left the Byzantine Empire with secure borders along the Danube in the north; Armenia in the east; and the Euphrates River in the south.

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15y ago

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