Well the title says it all. Here is a list, in no particular order, of my 12 favorite Byzantine emperors, each with a very brief reason why they made the list:
1) Basil II - enlarged the empire; created a sizeable gold reserve; generally enhanced Byzantine prestige
2) Justinian I - reconquered vast territories; tireless administrator
3) Maurikios - neutralized Persia; defeated Slavs and Avars; good at saving money
4) Herakleios - took the empire from the most dire straits to absolute victory (ignoring his later reign)
5) Nikephoros I - fantastic manager; recaptured much of the Thracian hinterland
6) Alexios I - endless energy; shrewd diplomat; restructured empire after the 11th cent. debacle
7) John II - continued Alexios' campaigns in Anatolia; secured Antioch and Edessa diplomatically; was able to save up money for an impoverished treasury
8) John III (Doukas Vatatzes) - stabilized Empire of Nikaea after fall of Constantinople; brought legitimacy to the regime
9) Michael VIII - restored much of Byzantine power; recaptured Constantinople following John III's stabilization
10) Theophilos - reorganized eastern themes, greatly improving resistance to Arab caliphates; in many ways, ushered return of 'high culture' to the Empire after centuries of decline
11) Leo VI - powerful personality; further reorganized army heightening efficiency
12) Constantine VIII - 'scholar-emperor'; increased the fisc; compiled several treatises that survive into modern day
Much more could be said not only of these individuals, but also of numerous others, some of whom are more qualified than those listed above but have not been mentioned for varios reasons.
Depicted above are 6th century troops serving in Italy.
Above is a member of the famous Varangian Guard, note Odin's raven on his shield.
Here we have a 'generic' soldier in possibly the late 9th or 10th centuries, perhaps a tagmatic soldier.
