--- title: Leo I author: Mark Cartwright source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) updated: 1970-01-01 --- # Leo I _Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_ Leo I was emperor of the [Byzantine Empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Empire/) from 457 to 474 CE. He was also known as “Leo the Butcher” (*Makelles*) for the assassination of his patron and rival Aspar. Although his reign was lacklustre and included a serious defeat to the [Vandals](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vandals/), he founded the Leonid dynasty, which ruled from [Constantinople](https://www.worldhistory.org/Constantinople/) until 518 CE. ### Succession Leo acquired the throne not by inheritance but because he was selected by the gifted general who pulled the strings of [Byzantine](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Byzantine/) politics at that time, Aspar the Alan. The general had already been manipulating Leo's predecessor, Marcian (r. 450-457 CE), whom he had similarly promoted to emperor. Aspar, although the most powerful man at court, could not himself become emperor because of his barbarian background and unorthodox religious views. Consequently, the general did the next best thing and acquired himself not one but two successive puppet emperors. Leo, formerly a soldier and then steward of Aspar's household, became emperor aged 56 on 7 February 457 CE and was the first Byzantine emperor to be crowned by the Patriarch (bishop) of Constantinople, in this case, Anatolios. Previously the legions lifting the emperor on their shields in the [Hippodrome of Constantinople](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1158/the-hippodrome-of-constantinople/) had sufficed, but from now on there would also be a bit of pomp and ceremony from the Church, too. It was a significant development which moved [Byzantium](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantium/) one step further away from its [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) heritage and reinforced the role of the emperor as a Christian monarch; it would also influence most subsequent coronations in Western [Europe](https://www.worldhistory.org/europe/) right up to that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 CE. ### Leo & the Isaurians Aspar, as it turned out, had made a very poor choice in his puppet. Leo might have been getting on a bit, and he had no male heir to complicate matters of succession, but the emperor proved a lot more ambitious than his patron had hoped for. Leo was fully aware of Aspar's stranglehold on power and so he sought to undermine the general's strength at source: the army, and especially the Germans who dominated at least half of it. The emperor promoted as many Isaurians as he could to counterbalance the German faction and to try and win the army's loyalty to his own side. These wild tribesmen from Isauria in central and southern [Asia Minor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Asia_Minor/) enjoyed a fearsome reputation as warriors, and in 466 CE, Leo even went so far as to give his daughter [Ariadne](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ariadne/) as a wife for their chief Tarasicodissa, who would take the more Byzantine-friendly reign name of Zeno. Even better, Zeno was soon able to show that Aspar's son was guilty of treason and remove a little sparkle from the general's hitherto glittering reputation. [ ![Byzantine Empire c. 460 CE](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/7704.png?v=1773840562) Byzantine Empire c. 460 CE Tataryn77 (CC BY-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7704/byzantine-empire-c-460-ce/ "Byzantine Empire c. 460 CE")Aspar, however, did not sit idle while his power base was eroded from beneath him and he enlisted the help of the influential court figure Basiliscus, brother of Leo's wife Verina. The historian J. J. Norwich gives the following description of these unlikely bedfellows: > The two could scarcely have been more different. Aspar was without [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/); as a convinced Arian, he came near to denying the godhead of Christ; as a leader of men he was the finest general of his time. Basiliscus was a Hellenized, well-educated Roman; a fanatical monophysite, for whom Christ was divine rather than human; and a man totally unfitted for any sort of command. They were flung together, however, by their common hatred of the Isaurians. (51) ### The Vandals Disaster There erupted a power struggle but not before Leo sent Basiliscus on a campaign against the [Vandal](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vandals/) king Genseric in 468 CE. The Vandals had still gone unpunished for their sacking of [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/) in 455 CE, and Genseric was intent on persecuting orthodox Christians - two good reasons for Leo to gain some prestige in attacking the barbarians in North [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/). The state coffers were emptied and tons of [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/) invested in both the army and navy. Unfortunately for the Byzantines, Basiliscus proved inept and, despite a huge armada and an army of 100,000 men, he still managed to fail in his mission. Tricked by the Vandal king into delaying his attack, Basiliscus' fleet was caught napping and destroyed by enemy fireships off the coast of Mercurion. The commander fled back to a hot reception in Constantinople where he was forced to seek sanctuary in the Church of [Hagia Sophia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hagia_Sophia/) while a baying mob screamed for his head. Only his sister's pleas saved Basiliscus from execution for incompetence. Instead, Leo exiled the commander to Thrace, but he would return to trouble Byzantine politics sooner rather than later. [ ![Colossus of Barletta](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/750x750/7702.jpg?v=1740294909) Colossus of Barletta Davude Carini (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7702/colossus-of-barletta/ "Colossus of Barletta")The army's defeat to the Vandals did not do Aspar any good either, as he was considered by many to be its commander-in-chief. Largely thanks to Isaurian support, the wrestle for power finally ended in Leo's favour with the deaths of Aspar and his son Ardabourios in 471 CE. Leo was considered the assassin of the pair who had been lured to the [palace](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/palace/) and dealt with by the court eunuchs. Thereafter, Leo was given the unflattering epithet of “the Butcher” (*Makelles*) by his opponents. Still, in comparison to many of his predecessors (and his successors), Leo's reign was a relatively calm one, free from the constant intrigue and literal backstabbing that seemed to [plague](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/plague/) the Byzantine court. ### [Death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/) & Successors When Leo died of dysentery on 3 February 474 CE, Zeno took the Byzantine throne, sharing it for form's sake with his young son Leo II. However, the very next year, and following the death of Leo II, Zeno was overthrown by his mother-in-[law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) Verina and her brother Basiliscus. Zeno, however, regained his throne with help from Daniel the Stylite, the Pillar Saint, and would rule until 491 CE. #### Editorial Review This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## Bibliography - [Brownworth, L. *Lost to the West.* Broadway Books, 2010.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0307407969/) - [Gregory, T.E. *A History of Byzantium.* Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/140518471X/) - [Herrin, J. *Byzantium.* Princeton University Press, 2009.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0691143692/) - [Norwich, J.J. *A Short History of Byzantium.* Vintage, 1998.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0679772693/) - [Rosser, J. H. *Historical Dictionary of Byzantium.* Scarecrow Press, 2001.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0810839792/) - [Shepard, J. *The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c.500-1492.* Cambridge University Press, 2009.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0521832314/) ## About the Author Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. ## Timeline - **c. 401 CE**: Birth of [Byzantine emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Emperor/) [Leo I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/). - **457 CE**: [Leo I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/) is crowned by the Patriarch of [Constantinople](https://www.worldhistory.org/Constantinople/), the first [Byzantine emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Emperor/) to be crowned by a bishop. - **457 CE - 474 CE**: Reign of [Byzantine emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Emperor/) [Leo I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/). - **466 CE**: [Byzantine emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Emperor/) [Leo I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/) gives his daughter [Ariadne](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ariadne/) as a wife to the Isaurian chief Tarasicodissa (Zeno). - **468 CE**: A [Byzantine](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Byzantine/) army led by Basiliscus is defeated by the [Vandals](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vandals/) in North [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/). - **471 CE**: [Byzantine emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Emperor/) [Leo I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/) conspires to murder his rival the general Aspar. - **3 Feb 474 CE**: [Byzantine emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Emperor/) [Leo I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/) dies of dysentery. ## Cite This Work ### APA Cartwright, M. (2017, November 30). Leo I. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo\_I/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/) ### Chicago Cartwright, Mark. "Leo I." *World History Encyclopedia*, November 30, 2017. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo\_I/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/). ### MLA Cartwright, Mark. "Leo I." *World History Encyclopedia*, 30 Nov 2017, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo\_I/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Leo_I/). ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 30 November 2017. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.