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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
XXIX
of a dropsy. He obtained the name of the
Great for his achievements. Among others,
he restored peace in Britain, when disturbed
by the Picts. To encourage the arts, he
erected a splendid column at Constantinople,
to rival that of Trajan at Rome. It was cast
down by an earthquake, and no longer exists.
Flavius Arcadius was born in 379; crowned,
395 ; and died, 408 He followed his father's
example in erecting a splendid column : both
have been prostrated by earthquakes. His brother Honorius succeeded to theWestern empire.
Flavius Theodosius II. junior, was born in
401 ; and died, 450. He was nominated to
the empire the year after his birth. He reestablished public schools at Constantinople,
with a view to revive literature, and published
the Theodosian code of laws. In his reign the
Romans abandoned Britain, never to return.
Marcianus was born in Thrace, of obscure
parents, in 387; crowned, 450 ; and died, 456.
He erected a pillar at Constantinople, which
still stands. In early life, he found the body of
a man, and buried it; but he was accused of
the murder, and would have been executed,had
not the real murderer appeared, and saved him.
Family of Leo.
Flavius Leo I., (Macela,) was a native of
Thrace, called to the empire in 457, and died
in 474, after a reign of seventeen years and
six months. He was the first Christian potentate of the East crpwned by an ecclesiastic.
After him, the ceremony was generally performed by the patriarch. He obtained the
name of the Great.
Flavius Leo II. minor, was born 457; and
died 474, aged 17, having reigned but ten
months. He was the grandson of Leo I.
Flavius Zeno, (Tarasicodista,) was born in
Isauria, in 426, succeeded Leo II. as sole
emperor, and died in 491, having reigned seventeen years. Some affirm he was buried
alive by his wife. The term Tarasicodista was
an Isaurian name, which he changed for Zeno.
Under him, the Western Empire was entirely
destroyed, and Odoacer, king of the Heruli,
was proclaimed king of Italy. For fifty years
after, till the time of Justinian, the reigns
of the emperors are obscure and indistinct.
Family of Anastatius.
Flavius Anastatius, I. (Dicorus,) was born at
Dyrrachium, in 430, and was killed by lightning in his palace in 518, having reigned
twenty-seven years and eleven months. He
was distinguished for running a wall from the
Euxine to the Propontis, and including a triangular space, called the u Delta of Thrace."
Family of Justinus Thrax.
Flavius Anicius Justinus I. was born in 450,
in Illyria, called to the throne on the death of
Anastatius, and died in 527, after a reign of
eight years and seven months.
Flavius Anicius Justinianus I. was born in
Dacia, in 482, and died in 565, after a long
reign of thirty-seven years and seven months,
which was devoted to useful objects. Besides
the erection of the church of St. Sophia, he introduced the culture of silk into Europe, and
caused to be drawn up the codes, pandects,
institutes, and, a few years after, the digest of
laws, forming a system of civil jurisprudence,
which is an everlasting monument of his reign.
Under him, Proclus, a second Archimedes, set
fire to the Gothic fleet by means of a concave
mirror of brass.
Flavius Anicius Justinus II. junior, (Curopa-
lata,) was born in Thrace, crowned on the
death of his uncle Justinian, and died in 578,
after a reign of twelve years and ten months.
He had been superintendent of the palace,
and hence the title Curopalata.
Family of Tiberius.
Flavius Anicius Tiberius, I. called the New
Constantine, was born in Thrace, and died in
582, after a reign of three years and ten months.
Flavius Mauricius Tiberius II. was born in
Cappadocia, in 539, and was killed in 602,
having reigned twenty years and three months.
In his reign Augustine and his monks proceeded to preach Christianity in Britain, and
the Saxon heptarchy commenced.
Family of Phocas.
Flavius Phocas was crowned in 602 ; he died
in 610, after a reign of eight years. He |
