LEO I, BYZANTINE EMPEROR

Reigned from 457 to 474; b. Thrace, c. 400; d. Constantinople, 474. A tribune commanding Selymbria, Leo was presented to the troops in Constantinople as the new emperor upon the death in 457 of marcian by the Alan Patrician Aspar. Accepted by the Senate, he was crowned by Patriarch anatolius, in the first such ceremony recorded in Byzantine history.

When informed of the anti-Chalcedonian intrigue by Julian of Cos, apocrisiarius for Pope Leo I in Constantinople, the new emperor sent an imperial decree to the Oriental metropolitans upholding the orthodox faith (Acta Conciliarum Oecumenicorum 2.5:12.8 and 75.28). Under the influence of Monophysite agitation (particularly that of the usurper bishop of Alexandria, timothy aelurus, installed after the murder of Proterius on March 29, 457), and of Aspar, Leo exhibited some hesitation in his attitude toward the Council of chalcedon and was importuned by letters from Pope leo i to himself and Bishop Anatolius.

He decided against a council to revise the Chalcedonian decisions, and he sent a circular inquiry to the Oriental metropolitans, asking whether Chalcedon should be upheld and Timothy Aelurus recognized as bishop of Alexandria (Evagrius, Hist. Eccl. 2.9). The metropolitan synods, except that of Pamphylia. voted in favor of Chalcedon and against Timothy, as did the renowned ascetics Symeon stylites, John of Cyr, and Baradatus. The results of these consultations, which attested the unity of the episcopate, were published and a policy of rigorous repression of the anti-Chalcedonians inaugurated. Timothy Aelurus was banished to Gangra in Paphlagonia (spring of 460) and the intruder Peter the Fuller (469–471) was deposed from Antioch on the complaint of Bishop Martyrius. A law forbade monks to leave their monasteries unless sent as procurators and prohibited their participation in doctrinal quarrels (Codex Just. 1.3.29). In 469 Leo condemned simony in episcopal elections (ibid. 1.3.30), having in mind Patriarch Gennadius (458–471) and the collusion of the 80 bishops who attended his installation. Unsuccessful in the repression of the vandals in Africa (461–468), he turned against the Arians after the death of Aspar (471).

The unique manuscripts of the Latin translation of the Codex Encyclius, which is apparently a second version made by the monk Epiphanius for cassiodorus, is mutilated and contains the responses of only 20 provinces to Leo's circular inquiry (Acta Conciliarum Oecumenicorum 2.5:24–98).

Bibliography: t. schnitzler, Im Kampfe um Chalcedon (Analecta Gregoriana 16; 1938). e. schwartz, Publizistische Sammlungen zum Acacianischen Schisma (Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften N.S. 10 (Munich 1935–). c. moeller, Das Konzil von Chalkedon: Geschichte und Gegenwart, a. grillmeier and h. bacht, eds. 3 v. (Würzburg 1951–54) 1:651–668. f. hofmann, ibid. 2:24–35. r. haacke, ibid. 108–112. h. bacht, ibid. 257–261. a. j. festugiÈre, ed., Les Moines d'Orient (Paris 1961–) 2:87–161. e. stein, Histoire du Bas-Empire, 2 v. in 3 (Paris 1949–59) 1:354–362. f. dÖlger, Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche, 10 v. (Freiburg 1957–65) 6:961.

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