Zeno I

Names:

• c.440: Tarasicodissa Rousoumbladeotes
• November 474: Zeno
• January 475: resigns
• August 476: returns
• 9 April 491: natural death

Relatives:

• father: Kodisas
• married to: Ariadne, daughter of Leo I
• children: Leo II

Main deeds:

• Made career during the reign of Leo I.
• 467 marries the emperor's daughter Ariadne.
• 469 Consul (with Flavius Marcianus).
• 473 Leo I appoints the son of Zeno and Ariadne, called Leo II, as successor.
• 474 The boy Leo II is consul; death of Leo I, soon followed by Leo II. Zeno succeeds his father-in-law and his son; at the same time, the East-Roman nobleman Julius Nepos, supported by Leo I and Zeno, gains the throne of the western empire.
• 475 Zeno consul II; he is briefly dethroned by Basiliscus; during this vacuum, a Germanic leader named Orestes expels Julius Nepos from the throne in Rome and makes his son Romulus Augustulus the new emperor of the western empire.
• 476 Zeno returns with help of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric; meanwhile, the soldiers in Italy have revolted; their leader Odoacer puts an end to the reign of Romulus Augustulus; end of the West-Roman empire.
• 479 Consul III; conspiracy of Marcianus (son of Anthemius, grandson of Marcianus).
• 482 The empress Ariadne tries to murder Illus, the master of offices; Illus leaves court; the Henotikon.
• 483 Insurrection of Illus.
• 484 Theodoric consul; Illus crowns Leontius emperor; they establish a rival court in Antioch; in the Sasanian Empire, Peroz is succeeded by Valkaš.
• 485 Theodoric's Ostrogoths expel Leontius and Illus from Antioch.
• 487/488 Theodoric gets permission to occupy Italy.
• 488 End of the insurrection of Leontius and Illus; Theodoric starts to invade Italy; in the Sasanian Empire, Valkaš is succeeded by Kavad I.
• 491, 9 April: Dies in a fit of epilepsy
• 493 Theodoric kills Odoacer; becomes master of Italy.