Anastasius I
Anastasius I was the eastern Roman emperor from 491 to 518, a former palace official who came to power through his marriage to the empress Ariadne, widow of Zeno. He proved one of the most financially capable administrators in Byzantine history. His most lasting achievement was a thorough reform of the monetary system, abolishing the hated chrysargyron tax on merchants and artisans. By the end of his reign the imperial treasury held a surplus of 320,000 pounds of gold, which funded Justinian I's ambitious military campaigns a generation later. Religious controversy dominated much of his reign as Anastasius personally inclined toward Monophysitism, bringing him into repeated conflict with the Chalcedonian majority in Constantinople and with Rome. He died in 518 at an advanced age, reportedly struck by lightning, leaving the treasury full and the religious situation deeply unstable.
- Lived: 430 CE – 518 CE
- Nationality: roman
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state, administrator
