caption predecessor successor death_date death_place title issue image article_title name reign
'' solidus '' of emperor basiliscus . zeno , deposed zeno , restored winter 476 & ndash ; 477 cappadocia emperor of the byzantine empire marcus augustus '' , '' caesar '' and later joint '' solidus basiliscus-ric 1003.jpg basiliscus
 basiliscus 9 january 475 & ndash ; august 476
basiliscus

basiliscus -lrb- ; -rrb- -lrb- d. 476/477 -rrb- was byzantine emperor from 475 to 476 .
a member of the house of leo , he came to power when emperor zeno had been forced out of constantinople by a revolt .
basiliscus was the brother of empress aelia verina , who was the wife of emperor leo i -lrb- 457 -- 474 -rrb- .
his relationship with the emperor allowed him to pursue a military career that , after minor initial successes , ended in 468 , when he led the disastrous roman invasion of vandal africa , in one of the largest military operations of late antiquity .
basiliscus succeeded in seizing power in 475 , exploiting the unpopularity of emperor zeno , the `` barbarian '' successor to leo , and a plot organised by verina that had caused zeno to flee constantinople .
however , during his short rule , basiliscus alienated the fundamental support of the church and the people of constantinople , promoting the miaphysite christological position in opposition to the chalcedonian faith .
also , his policy of securing his power through the appointment of loyal men to key roles antagonised many important figures in the imperial court , including his sister verina .
so , when zeno tried to regain his empire , he found virtually no opposition , triumphantly entering constantinople , and capturing and killing basiliscus and his family .
the struggle between basiliscus and zeno impeded the eastern roman empire 's ability to intervene in the fall of the western roman empire , which happened in early september 476 .
when the chieftain of the heruli , odoacer , deposed western emperor romulus augustus , sending the imperial regalia to constantinople , zeno had just regained his throne , and he could only appoint odoacer `` dux '' of italy , thereby ending the western roman empire .
