Leo VI (Fidem Pacis)

Leo VI was Roman Emperor, King of Africa and Caliph of Islam from 886 to 912. The son and successor of Basil the Goth, he was born in Africa under the name Theodahad but adopted the Greek name Leo after his father had been raised to the imperial dignity in 865. He served as a general in the Romano-African army during Basil's campaigns against the Bulgars in Anatolia, earning a reputation for patience and strategic brilliance.

After his father's death Leo was acclaimed emperor by the army, and was confirmed as such by the relucant Senate upon his return to Antioch. Among his first acts was to sign a peace treaty with the Bulgarian Empire, which agreed to surrender all of Galatia and pay a fortune in indemnities. This allowed him to concentrate his forces against the other major threat in the region, the Khazars, and within ten years he had recovered Pontus and Armenia and reestablished a naval presence in the Euxine Sea.

At home, Leo continued his father's work to spread Islam to Africa and beyond. Although the Africans had been among the most vocal opponents when Islam was first introduced to the Roman Empire in 633, the intervening three hundred years and the Gothic presence had done much to soften attitudes amongst the people, and the number of African converts quickly exceeded all expectations. Islam had become by far the majority religion by the middle of the 10th century, and Africa became a major source of missionaries to other parts of the former Western Empire.

Leo died in 912. He was succeeded by his son, Constantine VII.