A general seized the throne in 475 after the emperor fled for his life
When the Byzantine Emperor Zeno fled his capital in fear for his life, a high-ranking general seized the vacuum of power to claim the throne for himself during a period of intense imperial instability.
In January 475, the Byzantine Empire was thrown into chaos when Emperor Zeno was forced to flee Constantinople following a conspiracy led by his mother-in-law, Verina. Taking advantage of the empty throne, Verina's brother, a general named Basiliscus, was proclaimed emperor by the senate and the army.
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