The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY: BOOK III 163
to himself as supporters Leontius, and also Marsus, a man of repute, and
Pampreprius, came to the Eastern regions. Next, the same Eustathius
most wisely reports the proclamation of Leontius which occurred at
Tarsus in Cilicia; and how these men pro¢ted from the usurpation after
Theoderic, a man who was Gothic by race but was also distinguished
among the Romans, was sent out against them with native and foreign
forces; and that the men were miserably slain by Zeno in return for their
support for him; 87 and that Theoderic, on perceiving the treachery of
Zeno, withdrew to the elder Rome, although some say that this was
indeed at the suggestion of Zeno. And after overcoming Odoacer in
battle he subjected Rome to himself and nominated himself king. 88
and the award of the consulship for the following year; the next attempt was that arranged
by Verina in 478 (see previous note); in 480 the empress Ariadne, after failing to persuade
Illus to release her mother, secured Zeno’s consent for another attempt, and Illus only narrowly
escaped an attack in the Hippodrome, losing his right ear in the process. In his anxiety
to retain Illus’ loyalty while the Theoderics were causing trouble in the Balkans, Zeno
allowed him to withdraw from Constantinople and appointed him magister militum per
Orientem in 481.
87 Zeno ¢nally broke with Illus in 483, when the latter refused to release Zeno’s brother,
Longinus, who had been his prisoner since 475. Illus rebelled in 484, and solicited help from
the Persians, Armenians and Odoacer. Zeno sent Leontius, another Isaurian who was currently
magister militum per Thracias (PLRE II. 670^1, s.v. Leontius 17) to crush the revolt,
but Illus won him over and had him proclaimed emperor by Verina on 19 July; Marsus, an
honorary ex-consul (PLRE II. 728^9, s.v. Marsus 2), was another Isaurian associate of Illus;
both Leontius and Marsus were connected with the pagan philosopher Pamprepius (PLRE
II. 825^8), who had come to Illus’ notice by predicting the failure of Marcian’s revolt. The
rebels were severely defeated near Antioch in September 484, and withdrew to the fort of
Papirius in Isauria, where they held out for four years until their betrayal and execution.
Theoderic the Amal (PLRE II. 1077^84, s.v. Theodericus 7) was currently magister
militum praesentalis and consul for 484: hence there is no need for Festugie're’s addition of
‘later’ to qualify his distinction ‘among the Romans’ (334 n. 82: assuming that the distinction
refers to his conquest of Italy); he collaborated with John the Scythian against Illus,
probably commanding both his Gothic warband and the regular troops of the praesental
army, but he was recalled to Constantinople when Zeno began to suspect his loyalty, and
his troops also returned after the siege of Papirius began.
88 Theoderic already had experience of Zeno’s treachery (Malchus fr. 18), and could
contemplate the fates of Armatus and Illus. Theoderic was at odds with Zeno by 486, when
he ravaged Thrace; in 487 he pillaged the suburbs of Constantinople, but was persuaded to
retire when his sister brought a large gift of money from the capital. In 488 agreement was
reached between Zeno and Theoderic that the Goths would move west to oust Odoacer
(PLRE II. 791^3, s.v. Odovacer), whose control of Italy Zeno had never recognized; after
defeats in 489 and 490, and a long siege in Ravenna, Odoacer was killed in 493 while nego-