Flavius Basiliscus was Eastern Roman emperor from 475 to 476. He came to power when Emperor Zeno was forced out of Constantinople by a revolt. He was the brother of Empress Aelia Verina, wife of Emperor Leo I. In 468 he led the disastrous Roman invasion of Vandal Africa.
About Basiliscus in brief
Flavius Basiliscus was Eastern Roman emperor from 475 to 476. He came to power when Emperor Zeno was forced out of Constantinople by a revolt. He was the brother of Empress Aelia Verina, wife of Emperor Leo I. His relationship with the Emperor allowed him to pursue a military career. In 468 he led the disastrous Roman invasion of Vandal Africa. During his short rule he alienated the fundamental support of the Church and the people of Constantinople. He promoted the Miaphysite christological position in opposition to the Chalcedonian faith. His policy of securing his power through the appointment of loyal men antagonised many important figures in the imperial court, including his sister Verina. When Zeno tried to regain his empire, he found virtually no opposition, triumphantly entering Constantinople, and capturing and killing BasiliscUS and his family. He died in 476, and was succeeded by his brother-in-law Theodosius of Thrace. He is believed to have been uncle to the chieftain of the Heruli, Odoacer. His military career started under Leo I, and he led a successful military campaign against the Bulgars in 463. He succeeded Rusticius as magister militum per Thracias, and had several successes against the Goths and Huns. Leo chose him as leader of the famous military expedition against Carthage in 468. All accounts agree that the invasion of the kingdom of the Vandals was one of the largest military undertakings recorded, although estimates of its exact size vary.
According to Priscus and Nicephorus Gregoras, 100,000 ships were assembled. Modern scholars consider Cedrenus’s figure of 1,113 vessels, each carrying 100 men, more likely. Peter Heather estimates a strength of 30,000 soldiers for the expedition and 50,000 total, when including sailors and the additional forces of Marcellinus and Heraclius of Edessa. The plan was overwhelmed by the Eastern Emperor Leo, who was taken hostages in Illyricum. It appears that three fleets moved at different periods at different times, and were already conquered by Sardinia, Libya and Sardinia by Marcellus and Herclius, when the combined forces met in Sicily, making rapid progress. The battle of Bonontorium, about forty miles from Carthage, now Capontorii, was fought between Carthage and Carthage. The Western Emperor Anthemius, who enjoyed independence, was ordered to sail directly to Carthage to take control of the city. He did so, and the Carthage was taken directly to the island of Caporium. It has been argued that Basiliscs was uncle to Odocer, but not all scholars accept this interpretation, since sources do not say anything about the foreign origin of Basilisces.
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