Ino Anastasia
Encyclopedia
Ino renamed Aelia Anastasia (died 593) was the Empress consort of Tiberius II Constantine
(r. 578–582) of the Byzantine Empire
, and Augusta
from 578 until her death.
, Ino came from Daphnudium, possibly the island of Daphnousia off the coast of Bithynia
in the Black Sea
. She was first married to the optio
Ioannes, a low-ranking executive officer
of the Byzantine army
. They had a daughter who was betrothed to Tiberius. Her husband and daughter both died prior to the conclusion of the marriage contract, and Ino herself married Tiberius instead.
John of Ephesus mentions that Ino and Tiberius had three children. Daughters Constantina and Charito are known by name. The third child is considered to have died prior to the elevation of Tiberius to the rank of Caesar
.
Excubitorum (Commander of the Excubitors
) under Justin II
. Justin reportedly suffered from temporary fits of insanity and was unable to perform his duties as early as the fall of the important fortress of Dara
to Khosrau I
of the Sassanid Empire
in November 573. According to Gregory of Tours
, sole power of the Empire at this point was assumed by his wife, Sophia, a niece of Justinian's wife, Theodora
. Evagrius Scholasticus
reports that Sophia managed to conclude a three-year truce with Khosrau on her own. But to wield effective power as regent she would require supporters, and she therefore picked Tiberius as her colleague.
According to the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor
, Tiberius was officially appointed Caesar
by Justin on 7 December 574. He was also adopted
by Justin and thus became his appointed heir. At this point Ino emerged as Caesarissa, the second-ranking lady in the Empire.
The Ecclesiastic History of John of Ephesus and the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor
both record that Sophia considered planning to marry Tiberius herself. His current marriage was seen as an offense to her, and Ino and her daughters were not allowed to enter the Great Palace of Constantinople
. They were instead settled in the palace of Hormisdas, residence of Justinian I
prior to his elevation to the throne. According to John of Ephesus, Tiberius joined them every evening and returned to the Great Palace every morning. Sophia also refused to let the ladies at court visit Ino and her daughters as a token of respect to them.
Eventually however, to escape Sophia's displeasure, Ino and her daughters left Constantinople
for her native Daphnudium. According to John of Ephesus, Tiberius left Constantinople to visit Ino when she fell sick.
to Tiberius to convince him to divorce Ino, offering both herself and her adult daughter Arabia as prospective brides for the new Emperor. Tiberius refused.
Tiberius apparently feared for the safety of his wife and daughters. John of Ephesus reports that the three women were secretly smuggled into Constantinople by boat, late at night. Ino arrived safely and her husband arranged for her meetings with Eutychius and members of the Byzantine Senate
. Ino was proclaimed Empress in a public ceremony and received the rank of Augusta
.
According to John of Ephesus, her name was considered inappropriate for a Christian
Empress as it had Hellenic overtones. The original Ino
was a daughter of Cadmus
and Harmonia
, identified with the goddess
Leucothea
. As an Empress Ino received the name Anastasia (and officially Aelia
Anastasia), suggested by the Blue chariot racing
faction. Their rivals the Greens had suggested the name Helena.
Anastasia was not the only Augusta. Sophia also retained her rank and continued to hold a section of the palace to herself. Anastasia's religious affiliation is unknown. According to John of Ephesus she was hostile to the Chalcedonian
religious faction, and lacked knowledge on their actual beliefs. However John does not mention her supporting Monophysitism
either.
, a general betrothed to Constantina. The marriage of Constantina and Maurice took place in autumn 582, in a ceremony was performed by Patriarch John IV of Constantinople
and described in detail by Theophylact Simocatta
. Constantina was also proclaimed an Augusta while both Sophia and Anastasia kept the same title. John of Ephesus mentions all three Augustas residing in the Great Palace.
Theophanes records the death of Anastasia in the year 593. She was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles
, alongside her husband.
Tiberius II Constantine
Tiberius II Constantine was Byzantine Emperor from 574 to 582.During his reign, Tiberius II Constantine gave away 7,200 pounds of gold each year for four years....
(r. 578–582) of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, and Augusta
Augusta (honorific)
Augusta was the imperial honorific title of empresses. It was given to the women of the Roman and Byzantine imperial families. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum and Mater Patriae .The title implied the greatest prestige, with the Augustae able to...
from 578 until her death.
Early life and marriages
According to the account of John of EphesusJohn of Ephesus
John of Ephesus was a leader of the non-Chalcedonian Syriac-speaking Church in the sixth century, and one of the earliest and most important of historians who wrote in Syriac.-Life:...
, Ino came from Daphnudium, possibly the island of Daphnousia off the coast of Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. She was first married to the optio
Optio
An optio , sometimes anglicized option , was a soldier in the Roman army who held a position similar to that of an executive officer in modern armies...
Ioannes, a low-ranking executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
. They had a daughter who was betrothed to Tiberius. Her husband and daughter both died prior to the conclusion of the marriage contract, and Ino herself married Tiberius instead.
John of Ephesus mentions that Ino and Tiberius had three children. Daughters Constantina and Charito are known by name. The third child is considered to have died prior to the elevation of Tiberius to the rank of Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
.
Caesar's wife
Tiberius served as ComesComes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
Excubitorum (Commander of the Excubitors
Excubitors
The Excubitors were founded in circa 460 AD as the imperial guards of the early Byzantine emperors. Their commanders soon acquired great influence and provided a series of emperors in the 6th century...
) under Justin II
Justin II
Justin II was Byzantine Emperor from 565 to 578. He was the husband of Sophia, nephew of Justinian I and the late Empress Theodora, and was therefore a member of the Justinian Dynasty. His reign is marked by war with Persia and the loss of the greater part of Italy...
. Justin reportedly suffered from temporary fits of insanity and was unable to perform his duties as early as the fall of the important fortress of Dara
Dara (Mesopotamia)
Dara or Daras was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts of the 6th century, with the famous Battle of Dara taking place before its walls...
to Khosrau I
Khosrau I
Khosrau I , also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just Khosrau I (also called Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anushirvan or Anushirwan, Persian: انوشيروان meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just...
of the Sassanid Empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
in November 573. According to Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours
Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
, sole power of the Empire at this point was assumed by his wife, Sophia, a niece of Justinian's wife, Theodora
Theodora (6th century)
Theodora , was empress of the Roman Empire and the wife of Emperor Justinian I. Like her husband, she is a saint in the Orthodox Church, commemorated on November 14...
. Evagrius Scholasticus
Evagrius Scholasticus
Evagrius Scholasticus was a Syrian scholar and intellectual living in the 6th century AD, and an aide to the patriarch Gregory of Antioch. His surviving work, Ecclesiastical History, comprises a six-volume collection concerning the Church's history from the First Council of Ephesus to Maurice’s...
reports that Sophia managed to conclude a three-year truce with Khosrau on her own. But to wield effective power as regent she would require supporters, and she therefore picked Tiberius as her colleague.
According to the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor
Theophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
, Tiberius was officially appointed Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
by Justin on 7 December 574. He was also adopted
Adoption in Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, adoption of boys was a fairly common procedure, particularly in the upper senatorial class. The need for a male heir and the expense of raising children were strong incentives to have at least one son, but not too many children. Adoption, the obvious solution, also served to...
by Justin and thus became his appointed heir. At this point Ino emerged as Caesarissa, the second-ranking lady in the Empire.
The Ecclesiastic History of John of Ephesus and the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor
Theophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
both record that Sophia considered planning to marry Tiberius herself. His current marriage was seen as an offense to her, and Ino and her daughters were not allowed to enter the Great Palace of Constantinople
Great Palace of Constantinople
The Great Palace of Constantinople — also known as the Sacred Palace — was the large Imperial Byzantine palace complex located in the south-eastern end of the peninsula now known as "Old Istanbul", modern Turkey...
. They were instead settled in the palace of Hormisdas, residence of Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
prior to his elevation to the throne. According to John of Ephesus, Tiberius joined them every evening and returned to the Great Palace every morning. Sophia also refused to let the ladies at court visit Ino and her daughters as a token of respect to them.
Eventually however, to escape Sophia's displeasure, Ino and her daughters left Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
for her native Daphnudium. According to John of Ephesus, Tiberius left Constantinople to visit Ino when she fell sick.
Empress
In September 578, Justin II appointed Tiberius as his co-emperor, and on 5 October 578, Justin died and Tiberius became sole emperor. According to John of Ephesus, Sophia sent Patriarch Eutychius of ConstantinoplePatriarch Eutychius of Constantinople
Eutychius , considered a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions, was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 552 to 565, and from 577 to 582. His feast is kept by the Byzantine Church on 6 April, and he is mentioned in the Catholic Church's "Corpus Iuris"...
to Tiberius to convince him to divorce Ino, offering both herself and her adult daughter Arabia as prospective brides for the new Emperor. Tiberius refused.
Tiberius apparently feared for the safety of his wife and daughters. John of Ephesus reports that the three women were secretly smuggled into Constantinople by boat, late at night. Ino arrived safely and her husband arranged for her meetings with Eutychius and members of the Byzantine Senate
Byzantine Senate
The Byzantine Senate or Eastern Roman Senate was the continuation of the Roman Senate, established in the 4th century by Constantine I. It survived for centuries but was increasingly irrelevant until its eventual disappearance in the 13th century....
. Ino was proclaimed Empress in a public ceremony and received the rank of Augusta
Augusta (honorific)
Augusta was the imperial honorific title of empresses. It was given to the women of the Roman and Byzantine imperial families. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum and Mater Patriae .The title implied the greatest prestige, with the Augustae able to...
.
According to John of Ephesus, her name was considered inappropriate for a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Empress as it had Hellenic overtones. The original Ino
Ino (Greek mythology)
In Greek mythology Ino was a mortal queen of Thebes, who after her death and transfiguration was worshiped as a goddess under her epithet Leucothea, the "white goddess." Alcman called her "Queen of the Sea" , which, if not hyperbole, would make her a doublet of Amphitrite.In her mortal self, Ino,...
was a daughter of Cadmus
Cadmus
Cadmus or Kadmos , in Greek mythology was a Phoenician prince, the son of king Agenor and queen Telephassa of Tyre and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix and Europa. He was originally sent by his royal parents to seek out and escort his sister Europa back to Tyre after she was abducted from the shores...
and Harmonia
Harmonia (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia, and her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discordia.-Origins:...
, identified with the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Leucothea
Leucothea
In Greek mythology, Leucothea , "white goddess") was one of the aspects under which an ancient sea goddess was recognized, in this case as a transformed nymph....
. As an Empress Ino received the name Anastasia (and officially Aelia
Aelia (gens)
The gens Aelia, occasionally written Ailia, was a plebeian family at Rome, which flourished from the 5th century BC until at least the 3rd century AD, a period of nearly eight hundred years. The archaic spelling Ailia is found on coins, but must not be confused with Allia, which seems to be a...
Anastasia), suggested by the Blue chariot racing
Chariot racing
Chariot racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine sports. Chariot racing was often dangerous to both driver and horse as they frequently suffered serious injury and even death, but generated strong spectator enthusiasm...
faction. Their rivals the Greens had suggested the name Helena.
Anastasia was not the only Augusta. Sophia also retained her rank and continued to hold a section of the palace to herself. Anastasia's religious affiliation is unknown. According to John of Ephesus she was hostile to the Chalcedonian
Chalcedonian
Chalcedonian describes churches and theologians which accept the definition given at the Council of Chalcedon of how the divine and human relate in the person of Jesus Christ...
religious faction, and lacked knowledge on their actual beliefs. However John does not mention her supporting Monophysitism
Monophysitism
Monophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity...
either.
Mother-in-law
On 14 August 582, Tiberius died. He was succeeded by MauriceMaurice (emperor)
Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians...
, a general betrothed to Constantina. The marriage of Constantina and Maurice took place in autumn 582, in a ceremony was performed by Patriarch John IV of Constantinople
Patriarch John IV of Constantinople
John IV , also known as John Nesteutes or John the Faster, was the 33rd bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople . He was the first to assume the title Ecumenical Patriarch...
and described in detail by Theophylact Simocatta
Theophylact Simocatta
Theophylact Simocatta was an early seventh-century Byzantine historiographer, arguably ranking as the last historian of Late Antiquity, writing in the time of Heraclius about the late Emperor Maurice .-Life:His history of the reign of emperor Maurice is in eight books...
. Constantina was also proclaimed an Augusta while both Sophia and Anastasia kept the same title. John of Ephesus mentions all three Augustas residing in the Great Palace.
Theophanes records the death of Anastasia in the year 593. She was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles
Church of the Holy Apostles
The Church of the Holy Apostles , also known as the Imperial Polyandreion, was a Christian church built in Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, in 550. It was second only to the Church of the Holy Wisdom among the great churches of the capital...
, alongside her husband.