Ariadne (empress)

Aelia Ariadne (medium Greek Αίλια Αριάδνη; * 450, † 515 in Constantinople Opel ) was the Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno ( 474-491 ) and his successor Anastasius I ( 491-518 ) wife.

Ariadne was the elder daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I and Verina of. At the turn of 466/467, she was married to the Isaurian Guard commander Tarasicodissa, the aufrückte the heir apparent under the name Zeno. Her younger sister was Leontia with Patricius, a son of the powerful army Master Aspar, engaged and married after his fall (471 ) Marcianus the younger, son of the Western Roman Emperor Anthemius.

Still 467 Ariadne gave birth to a boy, the 474 was briefly emperor under the name of Leo II. When Zeno was raised by his young son on January 29, 474 as co-emperor, Ariadne was appointed to the rank of Augusta. Ariadne accompanied Zenon after the usurpation of her uncle Basiliskos in January 475 into exile in Cilicia and returned 20 months later with him back to Constantinople Opel.

479 came Ariadne with the Emperor about the fate of her scheming mother in conflict. Verina had caused the assassination of the military chief Illus and had fallen into his hands; during her captivity, she supported the rebellion of Marcian against Zenon. Ariadne tried in vain to her mother, who died in the hostage 's release 484.

When Zeno died on April 9, 491 without heir, his brother Longinus, and with him the Isaurian court party hope of the succession made ​​. However, Ariadne decided under the pressure of public opinion, which demanded a " Roman Emperor ", for the silentiarius Anastasios, they married on May 20, and thus dynastic legitimacy as the new ruler. The marriage remained childless.

Ariadne died in 515 in Constantinople, Opel and was buried in the Church of the Apostles.