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Leo I

Leo I: emperor of the East-Roman (Byzantine) empire (457-474).

Names:

c.401: full name unknown
7 February 457: recognized as emperor
18 January 474: natural death

Nicknamed "the great Thracian" and "the Butcher"

Successor of: Marcianus

Relatives:

married to: Verina
children: Ariadne (married to Zeno), Leontia

Main deeds:

457 Marcian dies without successor; general Aspar appoints Leo; he is crowned by patriarch Anatolius
In the Sasanian Empire, Yazdgard II is succeeded by Hormizd III (died 459) and Peroz; during Leo's reign, Ricimer is military leader in the west
458 Consul with Majorian (in the west), who is recognized as emperor by Ricimer and Leo I
461 Ricimer replaces Maiorianus as emperor in the west by Libius Severus
462 Consul II (with Libius Severus)
465 Ricimer puts Libius Severus to death
466 Consul III (with Tatianus)
467 Leo's daughter Ariadne marries Zeno; Ricimer and Leo make Anthemius emperor in the west
468 Anthemius consul II (without colleague); the Huns defeated; Leo's expedition against king Gaiseric of the Vandals fails; at the same time, Anthemius' expedition against the Visigoths ends in disaster
469 Zeno consul (with Flavius Marcianus); Aspar tries to kill Leo, and very nearly succeeds
471 Consul IV (with Caelius Aconius Probianus); Aspar's son Ardabur conspires against Leo; Leo orders the execution of Aspar and Ardabur
472 Ricimer captures Rome, kills Anthemius, appoints Olybrius; Leo refuses to recognize the new emperor, who dies of dropsy in the same year, two months after Ricimer
473 Consul V (without colleague); Ricimer is succeeded as military leader in the west by his son Gundobad, who appoints Glycerius emperor in the west; Leo appoints his grandson Leo II as successor; this creates tensions his son-in-law Zeno
474 Leo II consul; Leo ignores the new ruler in the west and sends Julius Nepos to Italy; death of Leo I.
Leo II dies soon after. Zeno has great difficulty to establish his reign and has to leave Constantinople in 475. During this crisis, the West-Roman empire disintegrates

Buildings: Church of St. John of the Stadium

Succeeded by: Leo II, Zeno I

Contemporary events:

459 Death of Simeon Stylites