Marcian, Successor of Theodosius, Died

Map of Illyria. Ortelius, Abraham, 1527-1598 -- Cartographer
© NYPL Digital Gallery

On This Day in Ancient History - February 7
In A.D. 457 the Roman Emperor Marcian died. Marcian had been born in 392, probably in Illyria, and began a career as a solider. He appears to have been captured by Vandals in the 430s and then emerged from obscurity to be made emperor when the preceding one, Theodosius II, died without leaving an heir.

While Marcian was emperor, he convened a Church council (Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon) and may have hired an assassin to kill Attila the Hun.

• The Night Attila Died - Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun
• Council of Chalcedon
• Chalcedonian Creed