A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

LEO. LEO. - 735
dust, once had the impudence to reproach the em- was the immediate consequence and the deserved
peror with faithless conduct towards his benefactor; punishment of the murder of Aspar, although the
upon which Leo calmly replied, that no prince emperor suffered less from it than his innocent
should be compelled to resign his own judgment subjects. Feeling his strength decline, and having
and the interest of his subjects to the will of his no son, Leo chose in 473 his grandson Leo, the
servants. infant son of Zeno and Ariadne, his future sucIn 466 the Huns threatened at once the northern cessor, and proclaimed him Augustus. He died in
provinces of Persia and the Eastern empire. Hor- less than a year afterwards, after a long and painful
midac, one of their chiefs, crossed the Danube on illness, in the month of January, 474, and was
the ice, but Leo had assembled a sufficient force to buried in the mausoleum of Constantine.
check them. His general, Anthemius, afterwards Although Leo does not deserve the name of the
emperor of Rome, defeated them at Sardica, and Great, he was distinguished by remarkable talents
some time afterwards Anagastus routed them in and moral qualities; his mind was enlightened;
another pitched battle. Their principal chief, Den- he was active, wise, and always knew how to
gizec, who was a son of Attila, was killed, and his attain his ends. His piety was sincere; he
head was sent to Constantinople, where it was ex- showed great respect to the clergy, and sincerely
posed to the public. The Huns now sought for admired the famous Daniel Stylites, who passed
peace, and desisted from further hostilities. About his life on the top of a column in Constantinople.
this time also Leo made serious preparations for He is reproached with want of firmness in his conrestoring peace to the western empire, where the duct towards Aspar and Basiliscus. Leo was illiteambition of Ricimer and Genseric, the king of the rate, but appreciated literature and science. On one
Vandals in Africa, had caused interminable troubles occasion one of his courtiers reproached him with
and bloodshed. Ricimer entered with him into having given a pension to the philosopher Eulogius:
negotiations, which were not without beneficial — " Would God," answered the emperor, "that I
effects for Italy, since they led to the election of had to pay no other people than scholars." TheoAnthemius, mentioned above, as emperor of Rome; doric the Great was educated at the court of Leo.
but Genseric was rather obstinate, though he tried The reign of this emperor is signalised by some exto avoid war by sending back to Constantinople traordinary events. In 458 Antioch was destioyed
Eudoxia, the widow of the Western emperor, Va- by an earthquake; in 465 a fire broke out in Conlentinian III., and her daughter, Placidia, whom stantinople, and destroyed the public and private
he had kept as captives during seven years. No buildings on a space 1750 paces long, from east to
sooner, however, was Anthemius proclaimed in west, and 500 wide from north to south. In 469
Rome, than the two emperors concerted a joint inundations caused an immense loss of life and
attack upon Carthage, the deplorable issue of which property in various parts of the empire; and in
is told in the life of Basiliscus, who had the chief 572 there was an eruption of Mount Vesuvius,
command in this unfortunate expedition. The de- which was not only felt in Constantinople, but all
feat of Basiliscus gave Leo an opportunity of the historians agree that there were such showers
getting rid of Aspar and his three haughty sons, of ashes that the roofs of the houses were covered
Ardaburius, Patricius, and Ermenaric, for public with a coat three inches thick. Whether this is
opinion pointed out Aspar as the secret contriver true or not is another question.
of the failure of the expedition; and the people, The wife of Leo, Verina, was renowned for her
especially the orthodox, declared themselves against virtues. He had a son by her who died young,
him in most violent language. In order to ex- and two daughters, Ariadne, married to Zeno, and.
asperate the people still more against the minister, Leontia, who married Marcian, the son of AntheLeo treacherously proposed to him to give his mius. (Cedren. p. 346, &c.; Zonar. vol. ii. p. 49,
daughter, Ariadne, in marriage to Aspar's son, &c.; Theophan. p. 95, &c.; Suidas, s. v. A&wv and
Patricius, or Patriciolus. When the news of the ZIYvWc.) [W. P.]
intended marriage spread abroad, the inhabitants LEO II., emperor, succeeded his grandfather;
of Constantiiople rose in arms, and stormed the Leo I., in A. D. 474, at four years of age, and died
palace of Aispar, who escaped assassination by fly- in the same year, after having reigned under the
ing, with-his sons, into the church of St. Euphe- guardianship of his mother, Verina, and his father,
mia. They left it on the promise of Leo that no Zeno, by whom he was succeeded. [VERINA;
harm should be done to them; but they had scarcely ZENO.] [W. P.]
arrived within the precincts of the imperial palace, LEO III., FLA'VIUS, surnamed ISAURUS,
when Trascalisseus rushed upon them with a band or the Isaurian, emperor of Constantinople (A. D.
of the emperor's body guard, and assassinated 718-741), and one of the most remarkable of the
Aspar and Ardaburius. This foul deed was per- emperors of the East, was a native of Isauria, and
petrated at the command of Leo, on whose me- the son of a respectable farmer, who settled in
mory it is an indelible stain. Trascalisseus, the Thrace, taking his son with him. Young Conon,
stanch adherent of Leo, was rewarded with the which was Leo's original name, obtained the place
halid of his daughter, Ariadne, adopted the Greek of a spatharius in the army of the emperor Justiname of Zeno, and thus finally filled the imperial nian II. Rhinotmetus, and soon rose to eminence
throne. Aspar had left many friends among his through his military talents. Anastasius II., who
fellow-believers, the Arians, who, in revenge of his reigned from A. D. 713-716, gave him the supreme
death, excited Ricimer to fresh intrigues in the command in Asia, which he was still holding when
West, and persuaded the Goths to invade Thrace. Theodosius III. deposed that emperor, and seized
They came accordingly, and during two years the the crown in January, 716. Summoned to acvery environs of Constantinople were rendered un- knowledge Theodosius, the gallant. general called
safe till they yielded to the superior skill of the him an usurper, and immediately took up arms
Roman generals, and sued for peace. The end of against him, alleging that he would restore the deLeo's reign was thus disturbed by a calamity which posed Anastasius to the throne, but really intending