Leo II

Leo II (, ; – 474), called the Younger, briefly ruled as emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire from 473 to 474. He was the son of Zeno, the Isaurian general and future emperor, and Ariadne, a daughter of the emperor Leo I. Leo II was made co-emperor with his grandfather Leo I on 17 November 473, and became sole emperor on 18 January 474 after Leo I died of dysentery. His father Zeno was made co-emperor by the Byzantine Senate on 29 January, and they co-ruled for a short time before Leo II died in late 474. History Leo II, called "the Younger", was born in 467, the son of Zeno, an Isaurian general, and Ariadne, the daughter of then-emperor Leo I. He was the maternal grandson of Emperor Leo I and Empress Verina. As the grandson of Leo I, Leo II had a strong claim to succeed his throne. Leo I, who was becoming increasingly ill, felt obligated to declare a successor to the imperial throne, but passed over his son-in-law on account of his unpopularity. Accordingly, Leo II was made (heir to the throne) by Leo I around October 472, and was later promoted to (also by Leo I) in November 473, making him co-emperor alongside his grandfather. He was crowned at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and the ceremony was presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch Acacius. The 10th-century gives a detailed account of his coronation as , which is dated to 17 November 473. He was also appointed as the sole consul for 474 around this time. When Leo I died of dysentery on 18 January 474, Leo II acceded to the throne as sole . The historian Warren Treadgold wrote that during the reign of Leo II, his father Zeno was the true power behind the throne. On 29 January 474, the Byzantine Senate, with the approval of Empress Verina, made his father Zeno co- under Leo II, as Leo was too young to sign official documents. Leo II died in Constantinople shortly after 10 October 474. The 6th-century writer John Malalas states that he reigned "1 year and 23 days", which, reckoning from his coronation as , would give a death date of 8/9 December. However, he also states that Leo died on "November of the 13th indiction... as was written by the most learned Nestorianos, whose chronicle ended with Leo". Theodorus Lector, another 6th-century historian, states that Leo II died after a rule of 10 months, that is, from January to November 474. This is also corroborated by the 9th-century writer Theophanes the Confessor.