BASILISCUS, BYZANTINE EMPEROR

The Byzantine emperor Basiliscus (475–476) was brother-in-law of Emperor Leo I (457–474) through his sister Verina. It has been suggested that he was a relative of Odoacer, though this seems unlikely. Basiliscus was married to Zenonis and had several children, including a son, Marcus. He had a successful military career, serving in the Balkans as magister militum per Thracias (464–468) and was awarded a consulate in 465. In 468 he led the disastrous expedition against the Vandals, though his subsequent career in the Balkans was successful.

After the accession of Zeno in 474, Basiliscus seized power in Constantinople in January 475. Zeno fled. Once in power, Basiliscus restored as patriarchs Timothy Aelurus to Alexandria and Peter the Fuller to Antioch. He then issued his encyclical, rejecting the 451 Council of Chalcedon and the Tome of Leo. A revised version issued at Ephesus promising the removal of patriarchal authority from Constantinople led to strong support, but it also led to the rejection of the encyclical by Acacius, patriarch of Constantinople. Acacius received widespread support in Constantinople, especially from the monks, but also from Pope Simplicius in Rome. When Acacius induced Daniel the Stylite to descend from his pillar to lead a march of protest, Basiliscus was forced to meet the two men and admit his inability to resolve matters of faith. Basiliscus then issued his antencyclical, confirming Acacius's position as patriarch and retracting his encyclical. Military forces sent against Zeno were unsuccessful. Zeno was able to persuade their generals to return to supporting him. When Zeno arrived back at Constantinople in August 476, Basiliscus was left with little support. After taking refuge in Hagia Sophia, he surrendered to Zeno on a promise of no blood being shed. Zeno condemned Basiliscus and his family to imprisonment at Limnae in Cappadocia where the prisoners were starved to death.

Bibliography: w. brandes, "Familienbände? Odoaker, Basiliskos und Harmatios," Klio 75 (1993) 407–437. s. krautschick, "Zwei Aspekte des Jahres 476," Historia 35 (1986) 344–371. s. krautschick, "Die unmögliche Tatsache: Argumente gegen Johannes Antiochenus," Klio 77 (1995) 332–338. m. redies, "Die Usurpation des Basiliskos (475–476) im Kontext der aufsteigenden monophysitischen Kirche," Antiquité Tardive 5 (1997) 211–221.

[h. w. elton]