Verina - Marriage

Marriage

Verina married Leo, a Thraco-Roman officer of the East Roman army. According to Jordanes and John Malalas, her husband was one of the Bessi, a tribe of Thracians. Theodorus Lector, Theophanes the Confessor, Georgios Kedrenos and Michael the Syrian report Leo born in Thrace. However the Bibliotheca of Patriarch Photios I of Constantinople quotes Candidus in placing his birthplace in Dacia.

Leo was not from a prominent family. His only known relation prior to his marriage was a sister named Euphemia. According to Patria, attributed to George Codinus, Euphemia never married. She resided in Constantinople and was visited by her brother on a weekly basis. She reportedly erected a statue in honor of her brother. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire notes that the source is not considered particularly reliable. The Patria was written during the reign of Basil II (976–1025) and revised during the Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118). So at least five centuries separate the time of Leo and Euphemia and this written account of their relationship.

Verina and Leo had three children. Their eldest daughter Ariadne was born prior to the death of Marcian (reigned 450–457). Ariadne had a younger sister, Leontia. Leontia was first betrothed to Julius Patricius, a son of Aspar, but their engagement was probably annulled when Aspar and another of his sons, Ardabur, were assassinated in 471. Leontia then married Marcian, a son of Anthemius and Marcia Euphemia. The couple led a failed revolt against Zeno in 478–479. They were exiled to Isauria following their defeat.

An unnamed son was born in 463. He died five months following his birth. The only sources about him are a horoscope by Rhetorius and a hagiography of Daniel the Stylite.