Anastasius I Dicorus
Anastasius I Dicorus | |
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Monophysite |
Anastasius I Dicorus (Greek: Ἀναστάσιος, translit. Anastásios; c. 431 – 9 July 518) was Eastern Roman emperor from 491 to 518. A career civil servant, he came to the throne at the age of 61 after being chosen by the wife of his predecessor, Zeno. His reign was characterised by reforms and improvements in the empire's government, finances, economy and bureaucracy.[3] He is noted for leaving the empire with a stable government, reinvigorated monetary economy and a sizeable budget surplus, which allowed the empire to pursue more ambitious policies under his successors, most notably Justinian I.[4] Since many of Anastasius' reforms proved long-lasting, his influence over the empire endured for many centuries.
Anastasius was a Monophysite Christian and his personal religious tendencies caused tensions throughout his reign in the empire that was becoming increasingly divided along religious lines.[5][6] He is venerated as a saint by the Syriac Orthodox Church on 29 July.
Early life and family
Anastasius was born at
Anastasius is known to have had a brother named
Accession
Following the death of Zeno (491), there is strong evidence that many Roman citizens wanted an emperor who was an Orthodox Christian and a Roman proper. In the weeks following Zeno's death, crowds gathered in Constantinople chanting "Give the Empire an Orthodox Emperor!"[10] Under such pressure, Ariadne, Zeno's widow, turned to Anastasius. Anastasius was in his sixties at the time of his ascension to the throne. It is noteworthy that Ariadne chose Anastasius over Zeno's brother Longinus,[4] who was arguably the more logical choice; this upset the Isaurians. It was also not appreciated by the circus factions, the Blues and the Greens. These groups combined aspects of street gangs and political parties and had been patronised by Longinus. The Blues and Greens subsequently repeatedly rioted, causing serious loss of life and damage.[4] Religiously, Anastasius' sympathies were with the Monophysites.[4] Consequently, as a condition of his rule, the Patriarch of Constantinople required that he pledge not to repudiate the Council of Chalcedon.[18]
Ariadne married Anastasius on 20 May 491,[19] shortly after his accession on 11 April.[20][21][22] He gained popular favour by a judicious remission of taxation, in particular by abolishing the hated tax on receipts, which was mostly paid by the poor. He displayed great vigour and energy in administering the affairs of the empire.[23][24] His reforms improved the empire's tax base and pulled it from financial depression and bleak morale. By the end of his reign, it is claimed that the treasury had 320,000 lb gold reserve.[25]
Foreign policy and wars
Under Anastasius, the empire engaged in the Isaurian War against the usurper Longinus and the Anastasian War against Sassanid Persia.[26][27]
The Isaurian War (492–497) was stirred up by the Isaurian supporters of Longinus, the brother of Zeno, who was passed over for the throne in favour of Anastasius. The Battle of Cotyaeum in 492 broke the back of the revolt, but guerrilla warfare continued in the Isaurian Mountains for several years.[23] The resistance in the mountains hinged upon the Isaurians' retention of Papirius Castle. The war lasted five years, but Anastasius passed legislation related to the economy in the mid-490s, which suggests that the war did not absorb all of the energy and resources of the government.[3] After five years, the Isaurian resistance was broken. Large numbers of Isaurians were forcibly relocated to Thrace to ensure that they would not revolt again.[26]
During the Anastasian War of 502–505 against the
Domestic and ecclesiastical policies
Anastasius was a convinced
Successor
The
Anastasius died childless in Constantinople on 9 July 518.[30][31][32] He was 90 and a half years old according to the later chronicles of John Malalas (c. 491–578) and the Chronicon Paschale (c. 630).[33][34] The early 6th-century historian Victor of Tunnuna states that he died at the age of 88,[35] a figure accepted by most modern historians.[36]
He became the last emperor known to be consecrated as divus on his death. Anastasius left the Imperial treasury with 23,000,000 solidi, which is 320,000 pounds of gold or 420 long tons (430 t).[37] The illiterate peasant-born Justin then became the next emperor.[38] Meanwhile, his nephew and future heir Justinian engrossed himself in the life of Constantinople.[39]
Administrative reform and introduction of new coinage
Anastasius is famous for showing an uncommon interest in administrative efficiency and issues concerning the economy.[28] Whenever it was possible in governmental transactions, he altered the method of payment from goods to hard currency. This practice decreased the potential for embezzlement and the need for transportation and storage of supplies. It also allowed for easier accounting.[4] He also applied this practice to taxes, mandating that taxes be paid with cash rather than with goods.[4] He eliminated the practice of providing soldiers with their arms and uniforms; instead he allotted each soldier a generous sum of money with which to purchase their own.[4] These changes to imperial policy seem to have worked well; taxpayers often paid smaller tax bills than they had before, while government revenue increased.[4] The increase in revenue allowed the emperor to pay soldiers a higher wage, which attracted native Roman soldiers to the military, as opposed to the barbarian and Isaurian mercenaries which some previous emperors had been forced to rely on.[40] Anastasius is often cited for his "prudent management" of the empire's finances.[41]
Amidst these reforms, though, Anastasius continued the practice of selling official positions.
The complex monetary system of the early Byzantine Empire, which suffered a partial collapse in the mid-5th century, was revived by Anastasius in 498. The new system involved three denominations of gold, the
A 40-nummi coin of Anastasius is depicted on the obverse of North Macedonia's 50 denar banknote, issued in 1996.[43]
See also
References
- ^ a b Norwich 1988, p. 186.
- ^ Rösch 1978, pp. 166–167.
- ^ S2CID 154777266.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-333-71830-8.
- ISBN 978-0-521-32591-2.
- ISBN 978-1-4267-2191-5.
- ^ Focanti, Lorenzo (1988). The fragments of late antique patria (PDF) (Thesis). University of Gottingen. p. 214.
Christodorus' flourishing is dated to the reign of Anastasius I Dicorus (491–518 AD). Born circa 431 AD, the Illyrian soldier rose to the throne thanks to his marriage to Ariadne, the widow of the preceding ruler Zeno.
- ISBN 978-0-19-815001-5. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ Anastasius (AD 491–518) Archived 24 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine Hugh Elton – Florida International University – An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors
- ^ OCLC 812752850.
- ^ "The Consular List". Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
- ^ Pazdernik 1999, pp. 300–301.
- ^ a b Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 3
- ^ Christian Settipani, Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle, Paris, de Boccard, 2006, 26 vii 2014
- ^ a b Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 2
- ^ "James Allan Evans, "Justin I (518–527 A.D.)"". Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
- ISBN 9780870991790.
- S2CID 246877719.
- Zonaras' (Book XIV, 3.24)statement that the marriage took place "forty days after Zeno's burial" by assuming that it occurred the day after his death.
- Easter Dayfell on 7 April.
- ^ Chronicon Paschale 491: "he was crowned in the month Xanthicus, which is also April, on he 5th day of Holy Week."
- Holy Thursday." Holy Thursday actually fell on 11 April.
- ^ a b c d public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Anastasius I". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 919. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ Norwich 1988, p. 184.
- ISBN 978-1-84884-612-8.
- ^ a b Ostrogorsky 1957, p. 60.
- ^ a b Zacharias of Mytilene, Syriac Chronicle, Book VII, Chapter VI
- ^ ISBN 978-0-333-71830-8.
- Anonymous Valesianus II, Pars Posterior 74.
- inclusive]."
- ^ Zacharias Rhetor VII, xiv: "Anastasius died on the ninth of July."
- Theophanes Confessor 518: "On 9 April of the ninth indiction Anastasios the impious emperor died after ruling for 27 years and 7 months." (partially inaccurate)
- ^ Chronicon Paschale 518: "Anastasius fell sick... gave up the spirit, aged 90 years and five months. [Justin] became emperor in the consulship of Magnus, in the month Panemus, which is also July, on the 9th."
- ^ John Malalas XVI, 22. "He was terrified and breathed his last, at the age of 90 years and five months."
- ^ Victor of Tunnuna, s.a. 518. "anno viae suae III." [In his 88th year of life, i.e. born in 431]
- ^ PLRE II, p. 78
- ^ Norwich 1988, pp. 188–9.
- ^ Durant 1950, p. 104.
- ^ Brown 1989, p. 150.
- ISBN 978-0-333-71830-8.
- ISBN 978-0-88402-288-6.
- ^ JSTOR 43580526.
- ^ National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia Archived 19 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Macedonian currency. Banknotes in circulation: 50 Denars Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. – Retrieved on 30 March 2009.
Sources
- Arce, Ignacio; Feissel, Denis (2014). The Edict of Emperor Anastasius I (491–518 AD): An Interim Report. Amman: DAAD. OCLC 889751713.
- Brown, Peter (1989). The World of Late Antiquity: AD 150–750. New York and London: W.W. Norton and Co. ISBN 978-0-39395-803-4.
- Charanis, Peter (1935). The religious policy of Anastasius I: emperor of the later Roman Empire 491–518. Madison Wis.: University of Wisconsin—Madison. OCLC 827230820.
- Durant, Will (1950). The Age of Faith. The Story of Civilization. Vol. IV. New York: Simon and Schuster. OCLC 225699907.
- Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (29 June 2005). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 363–628. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-14687-6.
- Hussey, J.M., ed. (1985). The Cambridge Medieval History. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-0-521-04535-3.
- ISBN 978-0-88-141056-3.
- Norwich, John (1988). Byzantium: the Early Centuries. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-80251-7.
- Ostrogorsky, George (1957). History of The Byzantine State. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. OCLC 422217218.
- Pazdernik, Charles (1999). "Anicia Juliana". In G.W. Bowersock; Peter Brown; Oleg Grabar (eds.). Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-67451-173-6.
- Settipani, Christian (1989). Les ancêtres de Charlemagne (in French).
- Settipani, Christian (2000). Continuité gentilice et continuité sénatoriale dans les familles sénatoriales romaines à l'époque impériale (in French).
- Settipani, Christian (2006). Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs (in French).
- Rösch, Gerhard (1978). Onoma Basileias: Studien zum offiziellen Gebrauch der Kaisertitel in spätantiker und frühbyzantinischer Zeit. Byzantina et Neograeca Vindobonensia (in German). Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. ISBN 978-3-7001-0260-1.
- Zacharias of Mytilene, Syriac Chronicle, Book VII, Chapter VI
External links
- Media related to Anastasius I at Wikimedia Commons
- Works related to Anastasius I at Wikisource