Augustus, A.D. 457-474
(Bronze) AE4
Thessalonica mint?
Obv: D N LE-ON VG?
Rev: Monogram #1, within wreath.
THS in exergue?
RIC 681?
11mm, 1.3g
Leo I was selected by Aspar, the German Master of Soldiers in the West, to succeed Marcian as emperor in the East. He spent much of the his reign trying to counter the German influence on the Eastern Empire. Some of his moves were successful, but his decision to go to war against the Germans proved disastrous. He was a staunch promoter of the Christian orthodoxy, which led to vicious persecutions of pagans and "heretics," such as the Monophysites.
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