- Hypatius
Hypatius (d. 532) was a Byzantine noble of imperial descent who was positioned as commander in the east in the days of
Justin I .In fact, Hypatius was the nephew of
Anastasius I of the Byzantine Empire who ruled before Justin and he also was associated by marriage to the family ofJuliana Anicia , which gave him a serious claim for the "diadem ". However, he showed no such ambition, and he and the other nephews of Anastasius were well-treated by Justin, and his successor to the Byzantine throne,Justinian I .In the height of the
Nika riots , Hypatius, along with his brother Pompeius and Probus (another nephew of Anastasius), were among the prime candidates for the Imperial Throne. As it became clear that the mob wanted a new Emperor, Probus fled the city and Hypatius and Pompeius were safelocked in the Palace along with Justinian and the rest of theByzantine Senate . They did not wish to rebel against Justinian, fearing they would have too little popular support.However, Justinian expelled the senate from the Palace, fearing treachery, thus ushering the two brothers into the mob's arms. Hypatius was dragged away from his house, despite the efforts of his wife to forestall it, and he was proclaimed emperor by the rioting mob at the Hippodrome. Hypatius seems to have thereafter altered in his reluctance, and began to play up to the part of Emperor.
However, the riots were soon successfully (if bloodily) quelled by the Imperial Guard, and Hypatius was captured by Justinian's men. Justinian is reported to have wanted to spare Hypatius's life, but his wife Theodora prevailed upon him to see the punishment meted out, and the involuntary usurper was executed.
Bibliography
* Bury, J. B. (1958). "History of the later Roman Empire, Vol. 2". New York (reprint).
* Browning, Robert (1971). "Justinian and Theodora". Milano
* Moorhead, John (1994). "Justinian". New York
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