Emperor Anastasius I
Anastasius (or Anastasios) served as a finance administrator and personal bodyguard to the emperor Zeno. When Zeno died, his widow Ariadne selected Anastasius as the next emperor, then married him. The new emperor was about 60 at the time.
The reign of Anastasius saw conflict with the Isaurans, Bulgars, Slavs, and Persians, as well as a rebellion by his own military commander. In 512 he built a wall from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea in order to protect Constantinople from raiding Slavs and Bulgars. He perfected Byzantium's monetary system and expanded its treasury.
Although Anastasius professed an adherence to orthodox Christianity, as his reign went on he moved closer to the Monophysite doctrine. This was the cause of some difficulty in Constantinople and the European provinces, where orthodoxy was strong, but it aided peace with Egypt and Syria.
Legend has it that Anastasius, a superstitious man, decided after a night of prayer that the first man to enter his bed chamber the next morning would succeed him as emperor. In actual fact, Justin was selected by high officials of the court after Anastasius' death.
Important Dates
Died: July 9, 518
On the Web
Anastasius I of the Byzantine Empire
Concise but well-hyperlinked biography at Wikipedia.Anastasius (AD 491-518)
Brief, well-referenced biography by Hugh Elton at De Imperatoribus Romanis.
In Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
A History of the Byzantine State
by George OstrogorskyA Short History of Byzantium
by John Julius Norwich
Related Resources
Byzantium
A multilevel index of useful and interesting sites related to general Byzantine studies, Art and Architecture, Music, and more about the Eastern Roman Empire.
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