Emperor of the East, Anastasius was born c.A.D.430 at Dyrrhachium in Illyria, of obscure parentage. Although only a silentiary (usher) at the Imperial household, on the death of Zeno he was selected by Ariadne, the late emperor's widow, to succeed to the Byzantine throne and, six weeks after being crowned by the patriarch, he and Ariadne were married (A.D.491).
During his rule, Anastasius paid particular attention to the Empire's finances, carrying out, in A.D.498, a monetary reform which saw bronze coins of a respectable size being once again issued in quantity. These coins broke with the traditions of the Roman coinage as each bore its mark of value in Greek on the reverse (e.g. M = 40 nummia, K = 20 nummia, I = 10 nummia etc).
His reign was unfortunately marred, due to his unorthodox religious views, by frequent riots which, in A.D.513, culminated in an armed uprising in Thrace.
Anastasius died in his eighties, three years after Ariadne, on July 9th, A.D.518, some sources have said that he was struck by lightning.
On his coins, which are generally common in gold and bronze, he is styled D N ANASTASIVS P P AVG. His silver coins are rare, particularly those where he is associated, on the same coin, with the name of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths or with Baduila, another barbarian king.
