In 491, an empress chose the next Byzantine emperor by marrying a commoner
Following the death of her husband in 491, Empress Ariadne exercised a rare form of female power by personally selecting an unassuming official to lead the Byzantine Empire.
When Emperor Zeno died in 491 without an heir, the Byzantine court turned to his widow, Empress Ariadne, to choose the next ruler. In a surprising move, she bypassed powerful generals and aristocrats to select Anastasius, an elderly and respected palace official known for his integrity.
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