LEO I., FLAVIIIS, emperor of the east, surnamed the great; d. 474; b. Thrace; hav ing, by the influence of Aspar, who commanded the auxiliaries, ascended the throne at the close of the peaceful reign of 3larcianus, A.D. 457, lie was confirmed by the senate, and acknowledged emperor and chief of the military fmces, receiving the crown from the bands of the bishop Anatolius, patriarch of Constantinople, who gave the proceed ings the sacred sanction of a ceremony, which introduced at that time, has ever since been performed on the occasion of time elevation of a monarch to the throne. His birth was lowly, but urged by a lofty ambition, with persistent endeavor, aided by time inter ested exertion of the power of Gothic chief, Aspar, he rose to high military rank, and at the time of the death of his predecessor was in command of a body of troops near Selymbria. Upon assuming the control of affairs lie adopted time policy of Marcianus toward the Eutychians, who having recently put to death their bishop and placed another, !Blunts, in his place, were disturbing the peace of Alexandria, and inciting the populace against him. He exiled fElurns, and appointing an orthodox bishop iu his 'place, angered Wil0 being an Arian, had approved and concealed the movements 'of the Entychians. On this issue he quarreled with Aspar. Having defeated the Huns in a battle in theproVince of Dacia,ju which a son Of Attila was.kilh!dtrwithAnthemius, emperor of the west, as an ally, he prepared a large fleet with which to convey a division of the army to make war against the Vandals, under Genseric, then in possession of Africa. He succeeded in taking the island of Sardinia and Tripolis, and other towns of Libya, but on attempting to leave the harbor of Carthage by night, he was attacked by fire ships, which setting fire to his fleet, caused the expedition to result in failure. He suspected Aspar and his father of intrigue with his commander Basiliscus that brought about these reverses. Their motives have been questioned by historians, ascribing to them a desire to rule the kingdom through him, Aspar's Arianism being an insuperable barrier to his assuming personal direction of the empire. Notwithstanding that he owed his advancement and his accession of the throne to them, he resolved to put Aspar to death, and having in A.D. 471 arranged the preliminaries of a marriage between his daughter and Patricola, Aspar's son, purposely exciting the indignation of the people whom he knew to be inimical to the family of Aspar, they rose in revolt against the union, and pursued Aspar and his son to the church of St. Ettphemia where they had taken refuge. He persuaded them to come to the royal palace for protection, and vio lating his royal oath beheaded them on their arrival. His capital was menaced for two Tears by the Goths, who, incited by Ricimer, constituted themselves the avengers of years in the interest of the Arians; at the end of which time peace was declared. Ile
died in 474, leaving a reputation for thoughtful vigilance and moderation in the conduct of his empire, for a desire to promote the well-being of his subjects, for wisdom in legis lation, and economy in administration, bearing the odium of no failing but that of a culpable neglect of justice in allowing Aspar absolute freedom for so long, and of betraying him with perjury at last.
LEO (ante), II., SAINT, b. in Sicily, and became pope in 682, but died in the follow ing year. He succeeded in healing the schism between the sees of Rome and Ravenna, through an arrangement by which the bishops of Ravenna were to be ordained at Rome, and to be exempted from the payment of the money fee previously exacted from them. He was the friend and patron of church music, and aided in the improvement of the Gregorian chant. He built a church to St. Paul, and is said to have been the originator of the custom of sprinkling with holy water.
IV., d. 855, a native of Rome, succeeded Sergius II. in 847. He built a new Roman suburb, occupying 4 years in the labor, and it was named in his honor Civitas Leonine. He also restored a town near the mouth of the Tiber, where he colonized several thousand Corsicans who had been driven from their own country by an inroad of Sara cens. He also founded a new town which was called Leopolis, since destroyed. The fabulous pope Joan has been interpolated by certain writers between this pope and Benedict III., who succeeded him.
V. assumed the papal authority Oct. 28, 903, but was imprisoned and forced to abdi cate by Christopher, cardinal-priest of St. Lorenzo, and his own ,chaplain. He is said to have died of grief in prison a little more than a month after his election.
VI., born in Rome, succeeded John X., 928, and died after occupying the papal chair during 7 months. It has been alleged that be was put to death by the celebrated and infamous Marozia.
VII., also a Roman, became pope in 936, and reigned until his death in 939. His character is said to have been excellent, but little or nothing is recorded concerning his life.
VIII., succeeded John XII., who had been deposed, but who afterwards put Lco to Viii., succeeded John XII., who had been deposed, but who afterwards put Lco to flight and resumed the papacy. John was put to death, for cause; Benedict V. was elected by the Romans to fill the vacancy; and he, in turn, was removed by the emperor, Otho I., who reinstated Leo. The latter died about 965, and was succeeded by John XIII.
IX., Bnuxo. was b. in .Alsace in 1002, d. 1054. He was bishop of Toul, and was elected to the papacy in 1049. He was a man of great erudition,- and did much to reform the discipline and morals of the clergy. Having led a grand military movement against the Normans, he was taken prisoner and detained by them in confinement for more than a year. the greatest respect being observed in his treatment. A number of important councils were held during his reign.