On 9 February 474, Zeno was crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire, alongside his 7 year old son Leo II. Zeno, whose original name was Tarasis, was not born into royalty. Instead, he inherited his place at the throne through his marriage to Ariadne, the eldest daughter of the Emperor Leo I. Later that year, on 17 November 474, Leo II became ill and died, leaving his father as the sole Emperor of the East.

The period in which Zeno ruled was a delicate one, concerning religious disagreements in Rome. Monophysites held the belief that Jesus Christ consisted of one nature that was human and divine. This belief was unorthodox and condemned by the Council of Chalcedon, which urged that Jesus Christ’s human and divine parts were two entirely separate natures.

Anxious to settle the ongoing dispute, Zeno issued the law of the Henotikon, “Act of Union”. The order didn’t specify the exact nature of Jesus Christ, and thus left a loop hole for the Monophysites. The Henotikon back-fired, left both groups unsatisfied, and caused a schism between Constantinople and Rome. This schism surpassed Zeno’s death, and was not ended until Easter day in 519 during the reign of Catholic Emperor Justin I. The Catholic union was restored in Rome, and the Monophysites fled.

Although Zeno was not successful in ending the Acacian schism, he was successful at restraining numerous uprisings. One of his most famous was preventing the Ostrogoths from an attack at Constantinople. He instead offered a new target in Italy, Odoacer, a previous rival of Zeno’s who had defeated the Western Empire.

Those that are backgammon fans today, have Zeno to thank for the evolution of the game. Zeno often played an earlier version of the game Tabula, and wrote about losing a game to an extremely unlucky hand. When his record was found, the game was re-evaluated and changed.
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–Samantha Floeter

Photo Caption: Roman Imperial Coin of Zeno

Meet the Author: Samantha Floeter

I am currently in my first year at School Craft College, and plan to transfer next year to Wayne State University to pursue my degree in education. Upon completion, I would like to teach high-school or middle- school level English or mathematics. My life- long goal is to one day become a published author. However, for the time being my days are consumed with school and caring for my daughter.