Flavius Valerius Leo (401–18 January
474-Western Roman Empire:* Julius Nepos becomes western Roman Emperor, deposing Glycerius.-Eastern Roman Empire:* January 18—Leo II briefly becomes emperor.* February 9—Zeno is crowned as co-emperor....
), known in English as
Leo the Thracian or
Leo I, was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled from 457 to 474. He was known as
Magnus Thrax (the "Great Thracian") by his supporters, and
Macellus ("the Butcher") by his enemies.
Ruling the Eastern Empire for nearly 20 years from
457-Eastern Roman Empire:* February 7—Leo I becomes emperor.-Europe:* Childeric I succeeds Merovech as king of the Franks .* According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 4,000 Britons are slain at Crayford in battle against Hengist and his son Esc.-Asia:...
to
474-Western Roman Empire:* Julius Nepos becomes western Roman Emperor, deposing Glycerius.-Eastern Roman Empire:* January 18—Leo II briefly becomes emperor.* February 9—Zeno is crowned as co-emperor....
, Leo proved to be a capable ruler, overseeing many ambitious political and military plans, aimed mostly for the aid of the faltering
Western Roman EmpireThe Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
and recovering its former territories.
Born as Leo Marcellus in the year 401 to a
Thraco-RomanThe term Thraco-Roman refers to the culture and language of the Thracian and Dacian peoples who were incorporated into the Roman Empire and ultimately fell under the Roman and Latin sphere of influence.-Meaning and usage:...
family (of the Daci or
BessiThe Bessi were an independent Thracian tribe who lived in a territory ranging from Moesia to Mount Rhodope in southern Thrace, but are often mentioned as dwelling about Haemus, the mountain range that separates Moesia from Thrace and from Mount Rhodope to the northern part of Hebrus...
tribe), he served in the
Roman armyThe Roman Army was employed by the Romans, the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, as part of the Roman military. Its most important infantry constituent for much of its history was the Roman legion, whose soldiers were called legionaries....
, rising to the rank of
comesComes is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus , especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" + ire "go."-In the...
.
Flavius Valerius Leo (401–18 January
474-Western Roman Empire:* Julius Nepos becomes western Roman Emperor, deposing Glycerius.-Eastern Roman Empire:* January 18—Leo II briefly becomes emperor.* February 9—Zeno is crowned as co-emperor....
), known in English as
Leo the Thracian or
Leo I, was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled from 457 to 474. He was known as
Magnus Thrax (the "Great Thracian") by his supporters, and
Macellus ("the Butcher") by his enemies.
Ruling the Eastern Empire for nearly 20 years from
457-Eastern Roman Empire:* February 7—Leo I becomes emperor.-Europe:* Childeric I succeeds Merovech as king of the Franks .* According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 4,000 Britons are slain at Crayford in battle against Hengist and his son Esc.-Asia:...
to
474-Western Roman Empire:* Julius Nepos becomes western Roman Emperor, deposing Glycerius.-Eastern Roman Empire:* January 18—Leo II briefly becomes emperor.* February 9—Zeno is crowned as co-emperor....
, Leo proved to be a capable ruler, overseeing many ambitious political and military plans, aimed mostly for the aid of the faltering
Western Roman EmpireThe Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
and recovering its former territories.
Reign
Born as Leo Marcellus in the year 401 to a
Thraco-RomanThe term Thraco-Roman refers to the culture and language of the Thracian and Dacian peoples who were incorporated into the Roman Empire and ultimately fell under the Roman and Latin sphere of influence.-Meaning and usage:...
family (of the Daci or
BessiThe Bessi were an independent Thracian tribe who lived in a territory ranging from Moesia to Mount Rhodope in southern Thrace, but are often mentioned as dwelling about Haemus, the mountain range that separates Moesia from Thrace and from Mount Rhodope to the northern part of Hebrus...
tribe), he served in the
Roman armyThe Roman Army was employed by the Romans, the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, as part of the Roman military. Its most important infantry constituent for much of its history was the Roman legion, whose soldiers were called legionaries....
, rising to the rank of
comesComes is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus , especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" + ire "go."-In the...
. He was the last of a series of emperors placed on the throne by
AsparFlavius Ardabur Aspar was an Alan patrician and magister militum of the Eastern Roman Empire.Son of the magister Ardaburius, Aspar played a crucial role in his father's expedition in 424 to defeat the western usurper, Joannes of Ravenna, and to install Galla Placidia and her son, Valentinian III,...
, the
AlanThe Alans or Alani were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan — Greek: Αλανοί, Αλαννοί; Chinese: 阿蘭聊...
serving as commander-in-chief of the army, who thought Leo would be an easy puppet ruler.
Leo's
coronationA coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch or their consort with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head, and the presentation of other items of regalia...
as emperor on 7 February, 457 , was the first known to involve the
Patriarch of Constantinople-Current Ecumenical Patriarch:The current Ecumenical Patriarch is His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.-General Introduction:...
. Leo I made an alliance with the
IsauriaIsauria , in ancient geography, is a rugged isolated district in the interior of South Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering much of what is now Konya/Bozkir province of Turkey, or the core of the Taurus Mountains...
ns and was thus able to eliminate Aspar. The price of the alliance was the marriage of Leo's daughter to Tarasicodissa, leader of the Isaurians who, as
ZenoFlavius Zeno, original name Tarasicodissa or Trascalissaeus, Byzantine Emperor was one of the more prominent of the early Byzantine Emperors. Domestic revolts and religious dissension plagued his reign, which nevertheless succeeded to some extent in foreign issues...
, became emperor in 474. In 469 Aspar attempted to assassinate Zeno, and very nearly succeeded. Finally in 471 Aspar's son
ArdaburArdabur was the son of Flavius Ardabur Aspar,
was implicated in a plot against Leo and both were killed by palace
eunuchA eunuch is a political rank often found in ancient courts. Over the millennia since, they have performed a wide variety of functions in many different cultures such as: courtiers or equivalent domestics, treble singers, religious specialists, government officials, military commanders, and...
s acting on Leo's orders.
During Leo's reign, the Balkans were ravaged time and again by the Ostrogoths and the
HunsThe Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c.AD 370 and built up an enormous empire in Europe. They were possibly the descendants of the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before and may be the first...
. However, these attackers were unable to take
ConstantinopleConstantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
thanks to the
wallsThe Walls of Constantinople are a series of stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
which had been rebuilt and reinforced in the reign of
Theodosius IIFlavius Theodosius , called the Calligrapher, known in English as Theodosius II, was a Eastern Roman Emperor . He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code as well for the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
and against which they possessed no suitable
siege engineA siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
s.
Leo's reign was also noteworthy for his influence in the
Western Roman EmpireThe Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
, marked by his appointment of
AnthemiusProcopius Anthemius was a Western Roman Emperor from 12 April 467 until his death. Perhaps the last able emperor, Anthemius attempted to solve the two primary military challenges facing the remains of the Western Roman Empire: the resurgent Visigoths, under Euric, whose domain straddled the...
as Western Roman Emperor in 467. He attempted to build on this political achievement with an expedition against the
VandalsThe Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Goth Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths and regent of the Visigoths, was allied by marriage with the Vandals as well as with the Burgundians and the Franks under .The Vandals are perhaps...
in 468, which was defeated due to arrogance of Leo's brother-in-law
BasiliscusFlavius Basiliscus was an Eastern Roman Emperor of the House of Leo, who ruled briefly , when Emperor Zeno had been forced out of Constantinople by a revolt....
. This disaster drained the Empire of men and money. The expedition, which cost 130,000 pounds of gold and 700 pounds of silver, consisted of 1,113 ships carrying 100,000 men, but in the end lost 600 ships.
Leo's greatest influence in the West was largely inadvertent and at second-hand: the
OstrogothThe Goths were a heterogeneous East Germanic tribe. The historian Jordanes claimed that the Goths arrived from semi-legendary Scandza, believed to be somewhere in modern Götaland , and that a Gothic population had crossed the Baltic Sea before the 2nd century, lending their name to the region of...
king
Theodoric the GreatTheodoric the Great , was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Roman Empire...
was raised at Leo's court in Constantinople, where he was steeped in Roman government and military tactics, which served him well when he returned after Leo's death to become the Goth ruler of a mixed but largely Romanized people.
Leo died of
dysenteryDysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the feces. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal....
at the age of 73 on 18 January, 474.
Marriage and children
Leo and Verina had three children. Their eldest daughter
AriadneAelia Ariadne was the Empress consort of Zeno and Anastasius I of the Byzantine Empire.- Family :Ariadne was a daughter of Leo I and Verina. Her mother was a sister of Basiliscus....
was born prior to the death of
MarcianFlavius Marcianus, known in English as Marcian, was the emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 450 until his death. Marcian's rule marked a recovery of the Eastern Empire, which the emperor protected from external menaces and reformed economically and financially...
(reigned 450 - 457). . Ariadne had a younger sister, Leontia. Leontia was first married to Patricius, a son of
AsparFlavius Ardabur Aspar was an Alan patrician and magister militum of the Eastern Roman Empire.Son of the magister Ardaburius, Aspar played a crucial role in his father's expedition in 424 to defeat the western usurper, Joannes of Ravenna, and to install Galla Placidia and her son, Valentinian III,...
. Their marriage was probably annulled when Aspar and another of his sons,
ArdaburArdabur was the son of Flavius Ardabur Aspar,
, were assassinated in 471. Leontia then married
MarcianThe usurper Marcian was son of the Western Roman Emperor Anthemius and Marcia Euphemia.He was a son-in-law of Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I and his queen Verina. He aided Verina in the clash against another son-in-law, Emperor Zeno, but was defeated by Illus...
, a son of
AnthemiusProcopius Anthemius was a Western Roman Emperor from 12 April 467 until his death. Perhaps the last able emperor, Anthemius attempted to solve the two primary military challenges facing the remains of the Western Roman Empire: the resurgent Visigoths, under Euric, whose domain straddled the...
and
Marcia EuphemiaAelia Marcia Euphemia was the wife of Anthemius, Western Roman Emperor.-Family:Marcia Euphemia was the only known daughter of Marcian, Byzantine Emperor. The identity of her mother is unknown. Her stepmother was Pulcheria, second wife of her father. Pulcheria had taken a religious vow of chastity...
. The couple led a failed revolt against Zeno in 478-479. They were exiled to
IsauriaIsauria , in ancient geography, is a rugged isolated district in the interior of South Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering much of what is now Konya/Bozkir province of Turkey, or the core of the Taurus Mountains...
following their defeat.
An unknown son was born in 463. He died five months following his birth. The only sources about him are a
horoscopeIn astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
by
RhetoriusRhetorius of Egypt was the last major classical astrologer from whom we have any excerpts. He lived in the sixth or early seventh century A.D., in the early Byzantine era. He wrote an extensive compendium in Greek of the techniques of the Hellenistic astrologers who preceded him, and is one of...
and a
hagiographyHagiography is the study of saints. A hagiography, from the Greek and , refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of ecclesiastical and secular leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though...
of
Daniel the StyliteSaint Daniel the Stylite is a saint of the Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. He was born in a village by the name of Maratha in upper Mesopotamia near Samosata, in today what is now a region of Turkey. He entered a monastery at the age of twelve and lived there...
.
The
Georgian Chronicle, a 13th century compilation drawing from earlier sources, reports a marriage of Vakhtang I of Iberia to Princess Helena of Byzantium, identifying her as a daughter of the predecessor of Zeno. . This predecessor was probably Leo I, the tale attributing a third daughter to Leo.
Cyril ToumanoffPrince Cyril Leo Heraclius Toumanoff was a historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history of medieval Georgia, Armenia and Iran....
identified two children of this marriage. Mithridates of Iberia and Leo of Iberia. This younger Leo was father of
Guaram I of IberiaGuaram I was a Georgian prince, who attained to the hereditary rulership of Iberia and the Roman title of curopalates from 588 to c. 590. He is commonly identified with the Gorgenes of the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes....
. The accuracy of the descent is unknown.
Sources
External links