Ino Aelia Anastasia Augusta

Ino, renamed Aelia Anastasia (died 593) was the Empress consort of Tiberius II Constantine of the Byzantine Empire.

According to the account of John of Ephesus, Ino was first married to Ioannes. Her first husband was an optio, an executive officer of the Byzantine army. They had a daughter who was betrothed to Tiberius II Constantine. Her husband and daughter both died prior to the conclusion of the marriage contract. Instead Ino herself married Tiberius.

John of Ephesus mentions Ino and Tiberius had three children. Daughters Constantina and Charito are known by name. The third child is considered to have died prior to the elevation of Tiberius to the rank of Caesar.

Tiberius served as Comes Excubitorum (Commander of the Excubitors) under Justin II. Justin reportedly suffered from temporary fits of insanity and was unable to perform his duties as early as the fall of Dara to Khosrau I of the Sassanid Empire in November, 573. According to Gregory of Tours, sole power of the Empire at this point was assumed by Sophia. Sophia was a niece of Theodora and Empress consort of Justin II. Evagrius Scholasticus reports that Sophia managed to conclude a three-year truce with Khosrau by her own. But as a Regent she would require supporters and she picked Tiberius as her colleague in power.

According to the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor, Tiberius was officially appointed Caesar by Justin on 7 December 574. He was also adopted by Justin and thus became his appointed heir. At this point Ino emerged as Caesarissa, the second-ranking lady in the Empire.

The Ecclesiastic history of John of Ephesus and the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor both consider Sophia planning to marry Tiberius herself. His current marriage seen as an offense to her. Ino and her daughters were not allowed to enter the Great Palace of Constantinople. They were instead settled in the palace of Hormisdas, residence of Justinian I prior to his elevation to the throne. According to John of Ephesus, Tiberius joined them every evening and returned to the Great Palace every morning. Sophia also refused to let the ladies at court visit Ino and her daughters as a token of respect to them.

Ino eventually left Constantinople in favor of Daphnudium, her previous residence. According to John of Ephesus, Tiberius left Constantinople to visit Ino when she fell sick. Her daughters are assumed to have joined her in her departure from the capital.

In September, 578 Justin II appointed Tiberius as his co-emperor. On October 5, 578, Justin was dead and Tiberius became the sole Emperor. According to John of Ephesus, Sophia sent Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople to Tiberius to convince him to divorce Ino. Offering both herself and her adult daughter Arabia as prospective brides for the new Emperor. Tiberius refused.

Tiberius apparently feared for the safety of his wife and daughters. John of Ephesus reports the three women secretly smuggled into Constantinople by boat, late at night. Ino arrived safely and her husband arranged for her meetings with Eutychius and members of the Byzantine Senate. Ino was proclaimed Empress in a public ceremony and received the rank of Augusta.

According to John of Ephesus, her name was considered inappropriate for a Christian Empress as it had Hellenic overtones.The original Ino was a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, identified with the goddess Leucothea. As an Empress Ino received the name Anastasia, suggested by the Blue chariot racing club. Their rivals the Greens had suggested the name Helena.

Anastasia was not the only Augusta. Sophia also retained her rank and continued to hold a section of the palace to herself. Anastasia's religious affiliation is unknown. According to John of Ephesus she was hostile to the Chalcedonian religious faction. He claims that she lacked knowledge on their actual beliefs. However, John does not mention her supporting Monophysitism either.

On 14 August 582, Tiberius died. He was succeeded by Maurice, a general betrothed to Constantina. The marriage of Constantina and Maurice took place in Autumn, 582. The ceremony was performed by Patriarch John IV of Constantinople and is described in detail by Theophylact Simocatta. Constantina was proclaimed an Augusta while both Sophia and Anastasia also kept the same title. John of Ephesus mentions all three Augustas residing in the Great Palace.

Theophanes records the death of Anastasia in the year 593. She was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles, alongside her husband.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ino_Anastasia for more information.