Bardas

Bardas was a prominent Byzantine aristocrat who played a significant role in the mid-9th century. He was the maternal uncle of Emperor Michael III and, after a power struggle, helped Michael gain direct control of the government in 856. Bardas then became the de facto ruler, overseeing the organization of a university in Constantinople and influencing church policy, including the resignation of Patriarch Ignatius and the appointment of Photius.1

Bardas's influence waned as Michael III fell under the sway of Basil the Macedonian. Fearing Michael's displeasure, Basil murdered Bardas in 865, paving the way for his own rise to co-emperor and eventually emperor.12

It is important to distinguish this Bardas from Philippicus Bardanes, a Byzantine emperor who reigned briefly from 711 to 713 and was overthrown and blinded. Another figure, Bardesanes, was a Syrian Gnostic philosopher and writer from the 2nd-3rd century AD.34