The wife of

Julius Nepos Julius Nepos (died 9 May 480), or simply Nepos, ruled as Roman emperor of the West from 24 June 474 to 28 August 475. After losing power in Italy, Nepos retreated to his home province of Dalmatia, from which he continued to claim the western im ...

was the last empress of the Roman Empire in the West, whose husband reigned from 474 through 480, although he was in exile from his capital after 475. His surname, Nepos ( la, "nephew"), he obtained through his marriage. His wife's given name is not in any primary source, all of which report her as the ''neptis'' of

Leo I the Thracian Leo I (; 401 – 18 January 474), also known as "the Thracian" ( la, Thrax; grc-gre, ο Θραξ),; grc-gre, Μακέλλης), referencing the murder of Aspar and his son. was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia ...

of the Roman Empire in the East (457–74), and his spouse

Verina Aelia Verina (Greek: Βερίνα, died 484) was the Empress consort of Leo I of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was a sister of Basiliscus. Her daughter Ariadne was Empress consort of first Zeno and then Anastasius I. Verina was the maternal gran ...

. The word ''neptis'' could translate as granddaughter, niece or (close) relative, but it is usually assumed that Julius' wife was Leo's niece, and more likely related by blood to Verina rather than Leo. The historian

Malchus Malchus (; grc-x-koine, Μάλχος, translit=Málkhos, ) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, b ...

reports, "Verina also joined in urging this, giving a helping hand to the wife of Nepos, her relative". Julius' marriage may have been part of a pattern of family patronage: "marriage into the imperial family was a highly advantageous affair, and marriage to an emperor's daughter allowed the son-in-law to hope for the purple".''Cambridge University History'' vol. 14, page 148–49 Both emperors and empresses once elevated to their position would attempt to promote relatives to high offices and help them marry into illustrious lineages. While these extended families on occasion failed to succeed to the throne, they did manage to endure political upheavals and remain prominent for generations. Verina certainly seems to have played her part in advancing relatives. Between 468 and 476,

Basiliscus Basiliscus ( grc-gre, Βασιλίσκος, Basilískos; died 476/477) was Eastern Roman emperor from 9 January 475 to August 476. He became in 464, under his brother-in-law, Emperor Leo (457–474). Basiliscus commanded the army for an inva ...

Armatus Flavius Armatus (died 477), also known as Harmatius, was an Eastern Roman military commander, ''magister militum'' under Emperors Leo I, Basiliscus and Zeno, and consul. He was instrumental in the rebellion of Basiliscus against Zeno, and in his s ...

and Nepos assumed high-ranking military positions. All three were related to her by blood or marriage. During the same period, Verina's daughters

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for havi ...

and

Leontia Leontia ( el, Λεοντία, floruit, fl. 610) was an empress of the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire as the wife of Phocas. Empress Maurice (emperor), Maurice reigned in the Byzantine Empire from 582 to 602. He led a series of Maurice's ...

were married respectively to

Zeno Zeno ( grc, Ζήνων) may refer to: People * Zeno (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Philosophers * Zeno of Elea (), philosopher, follower of Parmenides, known for his paradoxes * Zeno of Citium (333 – 264 BC), ...

and Marcian, later an emperor and a usurper, respectively. She may even had something to do with the rise to prominence of the barbarian Odoacer, theorised to be her nephew.''Cambridge University History'' vol. 14, page 149

References

Sources

External links

Page in "The Cambridge ancient history 14" commenting on Verina and her relatives
{{s-end House of Leo 5th-century Byzantine people 5th-century Byzantine women 5th-century Roman empresses Unidentified people 5th-century Roman women