Byzantine Emperor Basil I
the Macedonian
Byzantine Emperor Basil II
the Apogee of Byzantine Power: " . . . Vladimir’s contemporary in Byzantium was Basil II, who has been called the 'apogee of Byzantine Power. . . ." (Rus' Handbook)
the Father of the Army: " . . . Besides being called the 'Father of the Army', he was also popular with country farmers. . . ." (Phantis)
the Bulgar-Slayer (Gr. Bulgaroktonos):
--"Finally, on July 29, 1014, Basil II cornered the Bulgarian army and forced it to fight at the Battle of Kleidion, with Samuil several miles away from the battlefield. He crushed the Bulgarians and took 14,000 prisoners. What he did next gave Basil his nickname Bulgaroktonos, 'the Bulgar-slayer.' He ordered 99 of every 100 of the prisoners blinded, with every 100th man left one eye to guide the rest home." (Biography Base - Basil II)
--" . . . At the start of the eleventh century Byzantium enjoyed something of a resurgence of wealth and power under the ferocious despot Basil II (976-1025), also known as Basil the Bulgar-Slayer. He earned his epithet through an act of unparalleled ruthlessness. Facing renewed Bulgar aggression in 1014, he outmaneuvered and trapped their army, capturing 14,000 prisoners. The Bulgar Prince Samuel escaped, so Basil decided to send him a clear message about the dangers of threatening the empire. He chose to release rather than execute his prisoners, but with ninety-nine in every hundred blinded, leaving the hundredth man one eye with which to guide his mutilated companions back into Bulgar territory. The sight of this train of broken wretches crushed Samuel's spirit and he died of shock two days later." (Asbridge: 96)
Basil Zaharoff (1849-1936)
the Mystery Man of Europe
the Hunchback:
--" . . . The inability of Count Berenguer Ramon I to stand up to the bullying of violent, aggrandizing castle holders backed by their armed clienteles has given him the reputation as one of the least effectual rulers of his dynasty. Appropriately, he has received the sobriquet el corbat, 'the Bent.'" (Bensch: 59)
--" . . . The nickname of El Corbat (the bent) with which this count is known seems to obey to the confusion of a copyist of a document from San Juan de la Peña, and does not appear before the XIII century." (Enciclopedia Catalana)
Beatrice d'Este.
the Queen of Feasts:
Beatriz Pacheco, Countess of Arcos (d.1511)
the Sad Duchess (Sp. la Trieste Duquesa):
George Bryan Brummell
Buck (so-called in Eton)
the Soul of the Mess
the Ultimate Man of Style (by Ian Kelly).
Benedict XII (Pope).
the White Cardinal:
the Deacon:
--"He . . . so named from his having been in holy orders, previous to seizing the crown at Mauregato's death, A.D.788. He immediately abdicated in favour of the rightful heir, Fruela's son Alfonso II. . . ." (The History of Spain and Portugal from B.C. 1000 to A.D. 1814: 13)
--" . . . He was a descendant of one of the Kings of Denmark and a near kinsman, possibly a brother or son of Rollo, or possibly he may have been an outlaw from the West coast of Norway. He was second in command of the expedition into France, and when Rollo divided up he new Duchy amongst his chieftains, Bernard received as his share the Lordship of Harcourt, together with a large tract of country lying between the rivers Sarthe and Rille in the province of Maine. . . After the death of Rollo, he became Regent and chief councillor of Rollo's son William 'Longsword' and subsequently guardian of his grandson during his minority." (The Beaumont Family Website: 2)
Bernat I of Besalu.
Trencaferre (Ironcutter): "At that time, Bernat Trencaferre was count of Besalu [988-1020]. He was given the surname ['Iron-cutter'] because he was extremely strong and active. . . ." (Nelson: 46)
the Black Dog of Broceliande (by the English):
--" . . . Nevertheless, and by whatever tactical means, it seems that Bertrand du Guesclin did in fact capture Fougeray. One of the consequences of that exploit was to bring the name of Bertrand du Guesclin to the attention of Charles de Blois, and generally to the beginning of a sort of celebrity. With it, the image of the crude guerilla fighter wielding a woodman's axe began to take hold, and the English to nickname Bertrand 'the Black Dog of Broceliande.'" (The Flower of Chivalry: 43)
--"Bertrand du Guesclin, with a group of companions disguised as woodcutters, takes the city of Fougeray, earning the attention of Charles of Blois, and the nickname of 'the Black Dog of Brocéliande' from the English. Within a few months he has sold it back to the English, probably to Robert Knowles." (Timeline of the Hundred Years' War)
la Maledetta Bianca.
Royal mistress
Biette Casinnel
Biota de Cassinel
the Beautiful Italian (Fr. la Belle Italienne)
the Father of Kings: " . . . The Folkungar rage . . . numbered amongst its members kings of great talent. Birger Jarl, 'the father of kings' and the founder of this family's influence in the state, although he never wore the crown himself, may be said to have been more of a king than some among his descendants who bore the regal title. Birger . . . was absent from Sweden when his brother-in-law, Erik Laespe, the last of the Bondar race died, and when he returned from the crusade which he had been carrying on in Finland, he was very angry to find that the Swedish Council of State had taken advantage of his absence to choose his young son Valdemar to be king. . . ." (Otte: 156)
the Chapman: " . . . One of his brothers he had killed in battle before his old father's life ended; this brother was Bjorn, a peaceable, improving, trading economic Under-king, whom the others mockingly called 'Bjorn the Chapman.' The great-grandson of this Bjorn became extremely distinguished by and by as Saint Olaf. . . ." (Carlyle)
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