Leo I (emperor)
| Leo I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman emperor of the East | |||||
| Reign | 7 February 457 – 18 January 474 | ||||
| Coronation | 7 February 457 | ||||
| Predecessor | Marcian | ||||
| Successor | Leo II | ||||
| Western emperors |
| ||||
| Born | c. 401 Thracia or Dacia Aureliana, Eastern Roman Empire | ||||
| Died | 18 January 474 (aged 73) Constantinople | ||||
| Spouse | Verina | ||||
| Issue | Ariadne, Leontia, unnamed son | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Leonid | ||||
| Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity | ||||
Leo the Great | |
|---|---|
16th cent. Russian icon depicting St. Leo's enshrinement of the Robe of the Theotokos in Sts. Peter and Mark church, Blachernae | |
| Holy and Right-Believing Emperor of the Romans | |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Feast | 20 January |
| Attributes | Imperial attire |
Leo I (Ancient Greek: Λέων, romanized: Leōn; c. 401 – 18 January 474), also known as "the Thracian" (Latin: Thrax; Ancient Greek: ὁ Θρᾷξ), was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia Aureliana near historic Thrace. He is sometimes surnamed with the epithet "the Great" (Latin: Magnus; Ancient Greek: ὁ Μέγας), probably to distinguish him from his young grandson and co-augustus Leo II (Ancient Greek: ὁ Μικρός, romanized: ho Mikrós, lit. 'the Small').
During his 17-year rule, he oversaw a number of ambitious political and military plans, aimed mostly at aiding the faltering Western Roman Empire and recovering its former territories. He is notable for being the first Eastern Emperor to legislate in Koine Greek rather than Late Latin. He is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, with his feast day on 20 January.