Portrayal of Anastasius I (491–518) in the Church History by Theodore Lector. A Few Remarks

Abstract

The portrayal of Anastasius’ reign as presented by eodore is both one-dimensional, focusing on the Emperor’s activities related to religious matters, and entirely negative. For Theodore, Anastasius was a ruler who fought against the orthodox Church (of which the author of the Church history was a member himself). Furthermore, Theodore Lector became, in a sense, subject to Emperor’s repressions, as he was a secretary to patriarch Macedonius, who was removed from his position and exiled from Constantinople. For Theodore, Anastasius was an evil, impious and weak ruler, against whom even his own subjects rebelled (rising of Vitalian, riots in Constantinople).