Aristoxenus
| Aristoxenus | |
|---|---|
| Basileus | |
 | |
| Reign | 845-893 CE |
| Coronation | 635 CE |
| Predecessor | Menekrates II |
| Successor | Aischylos |
| Born | September 820 Parilla, Makedon |
| Died | June 895 Sena |
| Dynasty | Zelusian Dynasty |
| Religion | Zobethos |
Aristoxenus was a King (Basileus) of the Makedonian Empire, ruling from 845 to 893.
Aristoxenus was born in Parilla, Syara, the son of Eratostheres, brother of King Menekrates II. When he was five years old the Burning Plague struck Syara, wiping out 15-25% of the population including both of Menekrates 's sons. Eratostheres himself was later killed during the unrest that afterward engulfed the Empire. At the age of 12 Aristoxenus was adopted by Menekrates. Aristoxenus was groomed as the successor of Menekrates until the age of 17 when Menekrates's wife Enarete gave birth to a son, Xenokles. Menekrates planned to have Aristoxenus rule as a regent until Xenokles was of age, with Aristoxenus assuming the throne in 845 when Menekrates died.
Aristoxenus took power in the midst of the Crisis of the Ninth Century, during which civil unrest and rebellion saw most of the Empire's provinces either break away or fall into rebellion. Shortly after taking power he had Xenokles and Enarete killed, securing his position on the throne before turning his attention towards re-establishing control over the Empire's breakaway provinces. Between 845-853 Aristoxenus succesfully subdued rebellions in Ruvelka and Arkoenn before heading south for Mansuriyyah. Unable to fully defeat the al-Bashir Caliphate, Aristoxenus nevertheless successfully re-asserted Makedonian control along the Mansuri coast and restored the border to the Sahrat al-kabir desert.
In 858 Aristoxenus marched eastward towards Quenmin and succeeded in subduing the Tống Rebellion, reconquering Quenmin for the Empire and putting Tống Minh Trâm to death. Following the re-conquest of Quenmin, Aristoxenus led the Makedonian armies in Serikos and defeated multiple Han rebellions en route to bringing the Han back into the fold of Makedonian rule. Aristoxenus's final campaigns were waged against the Bosrei and Sadi tribes of Knichus, finally returning to Makedon in 867, marking the end of the 9th Century Crisis.
Aristoxenus succeeded in restoring the Empire to roughly 90% of its historical domain that had existed prior to the Burning Plague, and continued to rule until 893, when he abdicated due to poor health and died two years later in 895. Despite his restoration of the Makedonian Realm, Aristoxenus's victory is often considered by historians to be highly Pyrrhic. The widespread devastation caused by his wars, along with the massacres and killings his troops committed on his orders, led to a general demographic decline of the Empire; by some accounts the Empire's population shrank by 25-35% under his rule. The Empire would never fully recover, and while the 10th Century would see a general revival of the Empire's fortunes, Makedonian dominance of Siduri had effectively ended and influence across the continent was gradually supplemented by the Rideva Empire. Aristoxenus's rule is sometimes used to mark the end of Hellenic Syara, as Slavic influence from the Kingdom of Dragovita would being expanding rapidly across Syara shortly after his rule, eventually resulting in the Slavokratia. The carnage caused by his wars is still invoked in modern Syaran society as a stand in for an event of an exceptionally bloody nature.