Emperors of Rome

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Anastasius I (Latin: Flavius Anastasius Augustus; Greek: Ἀναστάσιος; c. 431 – 9 July 518) was Byzantine Emperor from 491 to 518. He made his career as a government administrator. He came to the throne at the age of 61 after being chosen by the wife of his predecessor, Zeno. His religious tendencies caused tensions throughout his reign. Because his name is distinctly and unmistakably Christian (Anastasius means 'resurrection' in Greek), it indicates that he was born and raised a Christian, in contrast to previous Christian Emperors, most notably Constantine I, who were converts.

His reign was characterised by improvements in the government, economy, and bureaucracy in the Eastern Roman empire.^[3] He is noted for leaving the imperial government with a sizeable budget surplus of 23,000,000 solidus due to minimisation of government corruption, reforms to the tax code, and the introduction of a new form of currency.^[4]