▁in ▁the ▁collection ▁known ▁as ▁The oph anes ▁Cont inu atus ▁and ▁was ▁probably ▁written ▁around ▁ 9 5 0 ▁by ▁the ▁em peror ' s ▁grand son , ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Const antine ▁VII . ▁ ▁The ▁V ita ▁Bas il ii ▁is ▁a ▁pan egy ric ▁devoted ▁to ▁ext ol ling ▁Bas il , ▁both ▁his ▁personal ▁virt ues ▁and ▁his ▁bene vol ent ▁government . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁on ▁the ▁throne , ▁he ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁noble ▁ancest ry . ▁He ▁is ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁the ▁hero es ▁of ▁anti qu ity , ▁rather ▁than ▁compared ▁to ▁them . ▁Michael ▁III , ▁the ▁em peror ▁that ▁Bas il ▁replaced , ▁is ▁port rayed ▁as ▁the ▁anti - Bas il ▁and ▁" the ▁emb od iment ▁of ▁evil ". ▁ ▁Under ▁his ▁ben ign ▁rule , ▁the ▁pe as ants ▁til led ▁their ▁fields ▁in ▁peace . ▁The ▁em peror ▁himself , ▁in ▁his ▁capacity ▁as ▁a ▁judge , ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁protected ▁the ▁poor ▁from ▁un just ▁tax ▁collect ors . ▁In ▁general ▁officials , ▁such ▁as ▁tax ▁collect ors ▁and ▁especially ▁e un uchs , ▁are ▁port rayed ▁neg atively . ▁Const antine ▁see ks ▁to ▁contrast ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁his ▁grand father ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁Const antine ' s ▁own ▁father - in - law ▁and ▁co - em peror , ▁Roman os ▁I ▁( 9 2 0 – 4 5 ), ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁Mac ed onian ▁but ▁a ▁Le