Basil II had an illustrious reign, earning the sobriquet "Bulgar-slayer" (Bulgaroktonus).
He died childless on 15 December 1025 and Constantine, a sixty-five-year-old widower, became sole emperor as Constantine VIII.
He had been a co-emperor for sixty-three years but had always been content to enjoy the privileges of imperial status, without concerning himself with state affairs.
He spent his life in the search of pleasure and entertainment, or amusing himself with riding and hunting.
He was "of frivolous disposition, he desired nothing more than to pass his life wallowing in extravagant pleasures."
Constantine as emperor carried on as he always had – hunting, feasting, and enjoying life – and avoided state business as much as possible.

By the time he became emperor he had chronic gout and could hardly walk.
He met challenges with impulsive cruelty, persecuting the nobility and ordering an orgy of torture; blinding was a favoured punishment for crimes real or imagined.
He filled the senior court and state positions with nonentities.
Within months the land laws of Basil II were dropped, under pressure from the Anatolian aristocracy. "
Devoid of any semblance of moral fibre" he would grant any concession.
Favouritism failed to win him friends and he persecuted the nobility when he felt threatened by conspiracy.
The start of the decline of the Byzantine Empire has been linked to Constantine's accession to the throne.
His reign has been described as "an unmitigated disaster", "a break up of the system" and causing "a collapse of the military power of the Empire".

He ruled for less than three years before his death on 11 November 1028.
On his deathbed, and without a male heir, Constantine recalled the senior aristocrat Constantine Dalessenos, Duke of Antioch, to the capital in order to marry his daughter Zoë.
The Dalassenus were one of the few powerful patrician families who had been unswervingly loyal to the Macedonian dynasty.
Constantine Dalassenos set out from his estates in the Armeniac Theme, but before reaching Constantinople the situation changed: the emperor's advisors preferred a weak ruler whom they could control, and, typically, Constantine was persuaded.
He choose Romanos Argyros instead, forcing him to divorce his wife and marry Zoë.
The wedding took place only three days before Constantine died on 11 November 1028.
Romanos was crowned Romanos III (r. 1028–1034) four days later.
Basil II had an illustrious reign, earning the sobriquet "Bulgar-slayer" (Bulgaroktonus). He died childless on 15 December 1025 and Constantine, a sixty-five-year-old widower, became sole emperor as Constantine VIII. He had been a co-emperor for sixty-three years but had always been content to enjoy the privileges of imperial status, without concerning himself with state affairs. He spent his life in the search of pleasure and entertainment, or amusing himself with riding and hunting. He was "of frivolous disposition, he desired nothing more than to pass his life wallowing in extravagant pleasures." Constantine as emperor carried on as he always had – hunting, feasting, and enjoying life – and avoided state business as much as possible.
By the time he became emperor he had chronic gout and could hardly walk. He met challenges with impulsive cruelty, persecuting the nobility and ordering an orgy of torture; blinding was a favoured punishment for crimes real or imagined. He filled the senior court and state positions with nonentities. Within months the land laws of Basil II were dropped, under pressure from the Anatolian aristocracy. "Devoid of any semblance of moral fibre" he would grant any concession. Favouritism failed to win him friends and he persecuted the nobility when he felt threatened by conspiracy. The start of the decline of the Byzantine Empire has been linked to Constantine's accession to the throne. His reign has been described as "an unmitigated disaster", "a break up of the system" and causing "a collapse of the military power of the Empire".
He ruled for less than three years before his death on 11 November 1028. On his deathbed, and without a male heir, Constantine recalled the senior aristocrat Constantine Dalessenos, Duke of Antioch, to the capital in order to marry his daughter Zoë. The Dalassenus were one of the few powerful patrician families who had been unswervingly loyal to the Macedonian dynasty. Constantine Dalassenos set out from his estates in the Armeniac Theme, but before reaching Constantinople the situation changed: the emperor's advisors preferred a weak ruler whom they could control, and, typically, Constantine was persuaded. He choose Romanos Argyros instead, forcing him to divorce his wife and marry Zoë. The wedding took place only three days before Constantine died on 11 November 1028. Romanos was crowned Romanos III (r. 1028–1034) four days later.
Constantine VIII