On Leontius’ Origin and Career up until the Year 481/482
On Leontius’ Origin and Career up until the Year 481/482
Author(s): Mirosław J. LeszkaContributor(s): Łukasz Pigoński (Translator)
Subject(s): Political history, Social history, Ancient World
Published by: Instytut Historii UJK - Filia w Piotrkowie Trybunalskim
Keywords: Leontius; Illus; emperor Zeno (474–491); usurpations in Byzantium;
Summary/Abstract: This article discusses the usurper Leontius’ origin and career up until the year of 481/482. He was most likely born in a family belonging to the circles of provincial aristocracy, which enabled him to receive a good education. As for his ethnicity, contrary to a rather popular scholarly opinion that he was from Isauria, he might just as well have come from Syria (as Theophanes points out directly). Regarding his position as magister militum per Thracias, it seems that he could have held it in the years 478–482 (there is no certainty that he exercised this function in 484). He probably had known Illus before 481/482.
Journal: Piotrkowskie Zeszyty Historyczne
- Issue Year: 21/2020
- Issue No: 3
- Page Range: 9-18
- Page Count: 10
- Language: English