Zeno AD 474-491. Constantinople
Solidus AV

22 mm, 4,38 g

D N ZENO PERP AVG, pearl-diademed, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman motif / VICTORIA AVGGG Θ, Victory standing facing, head to left, holding long jewelled cross; star in right field, CONOB in exergue.

Very Fine

RIC X 911 and 930.

Flavius Zeno, known as Zenon, served as (East) Roman Emperor from January 29, 474, until his death on April 9, 491. Rising from the Isaurian tribe, Zenon caught Emperor Leo I's attention in 466 by exposing treason, eventually leading to his rise in military ranks. Despite facing challenges to his legitimacy, including exile orchestrated by his mother-in-law Verina, Zenon returned to Constantinople in August 476, overcoming opposition and solidifying his sole rule over the Roman Empire. Zenon grappled with internal and external threats, successfully navigating the Ostrogothic menace on the Balkans and ceding Western territories to Odoacer due to resource constraints. Diplomatically, he recognized Vandal ruler Geiserich's authority in North Africa and maintained peace with the Sassanids. However, religious conflicts, including suppression of pagans and a compromise attempt with Monophysites, led to the Acacian Schism. Zenon's death in 491 prompted his wife Ariadne to marry Flavius Anastasius as his successor. Despite historical depictions of weakness, Zenon's pragmatic decisions and diplomatic maneuvers stabilized the empire, laying the foundation for Anastasius to assert imperial authority.