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anastasius 53
the tradition of Chrysaphius on the one hand and Pulcheria, Eudocia and
Verina on the other. 117
If the decision to give Ariadne the choice was surprising, then the
outcome of her deliberations was even more unexpected, for she selected
a palace official named Anastasius, who was already sixty years of age and
held heterodox theological views. Though this last characteristic became
the cause of difficulties in the final years of his reign, he nevertheless
proved to be in other respects a good choice, for he was to display a degree
of political and administrative competence superior to that of any of his
fifth-century predecessors. Once again, the lack of any dynastic link was a
potential problem, but another elaborate accession ceremony (11 April
491) helped to offset this handicap, 118 while a month later Ariadne strengthened
his position immeasurably by marrying him.
Anastasius’ most pressing problem upon his accession was Isaurian
resentment at the fact that Zeno had not been succeeded by his brother
Longinus, which rapidly provoked a revolt in Isauria. Anastasius seized the
initiative in Constantinople by despatching Longinus into exile and using
the pretext of a hippodrome riot to expel all Isaurians from the capital.
Rebel forces advancing against Constantinople from Isauria were defeated
in late 492, though it took six years to reduce the various rebel strongholds
in Isauria itself. 119 Although this should not be equated with the pacification
of Isauria, 120 it did mark the end of the Isaurian factor in political life at the
centre, and Anastasius was not slow to capitalize, via victory ceremonial,
panegyric and architecture, on the kudos to be gained from this success. 121
In addition to the Isaurian revolt, the early years of Anastasius’ reign
were also troubled by frequent outbreaks of unrest in Constantinople and
Antioch, some of it very pointedly directed at the emperor himself. 122 The
violence regularly manifested itself at places of public entertainment,
though why there should have been a sudden upsurge of such incidents in
the 490s is not easy to determine. 123 Anastasius responded initially by
sending in troops, with much resultant bloodshed, and then by banning
117 Ariadne does not, however, appear to have exercised any sustained influence; it is known, for
example, that Anastasius turned down her request for the promotion of a particular individual to the
praetorian prefectship (Joh. Lyd. De Mag. iii.50). Urbicius was a man of vast experience, having already
served most eastern emperors during the fifth century: PLRE ii, s.v. Vrbicius 1.
118 De Caer. i.92 with Nelson (1976), MacCormack (1981) 240–7.
119 Brooks (1893) 231–7; Stein, Bas-Empire ii.82–4.
120 Shaw (1990) 255–9, contra Jones, LRE 230–1.
121 Victory ceremonial: McCormick, Eternal Victory 61; panegyric: Procopius of Gaza, Panegyric
9–10; Priscian, De laude Anast. 15–139; Suda s.v. Christodorus (a six-book epic entitled Isaurika; cf.
Colluthus’ Persika a decade later); architecture: Anth. Pal. ix.656 (a palace built to commemorate his
victory). The abolition of the chrysargyron (see p. 54 below) was also timed to coincide with celebrations
of the Isaurian victory: Chauvot (1986) 154; McCormick, Eternal Victory 61.
122 Cameron (1973) 233–4 lists the incidents with references; see esp. John Ant. fr. 214b (�FHG
v.29–30) and Marcell. Chron. s.a. 493 with Croke (1995) 107, when statues of the emperor were pulled
down. 123 For discussion of possible causes, see Cameron (1973) 234–40.
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