ABSTRACT
A Byzantine case of 'just good friends' is that of the ninth-century Emperor Michael III (842-67) and his ultimate successor Basil the Macedonian; it has been hypothesized, primarily by Romilly Jenkins, that these two men had a homosexual relationship with each other.1 Given the theme of the conference which inspired this book, it seemed appropriate to refocus attention on this case. I will provide background information on the lives of the two men, touch on the more familiar heterosexual aspect of their story, then I will examine the case of the homosexuality of the two men separately before addressing the question of their relationship with each other.2 I will be particularly concerned to assess the evidence of the sources and its nature, and aim to reach a conclusion on where these reflections concerning the question of the sex lives of Michael and Basil take us, as far as the issues of desire and denial go.
