According to ancient sources, Flavius Zeno's prestigious career-he had fought against Attila in 447 to defend Constantinople and been consul the following year-was the reason why Tarasis, another Isaurian officer, chose the Greek name Zeno when he married into the Imperial family, thus being known as Zeno when he rose to the throne. Near Eastern and other Christian traditions maintain that Zeno had two daughters, Hilaria and Theopiste, who followed a religious life, but historical sources attest the existence of only one son by Arcadia, called Zenon. Tarasis had a first wife, Arcadia, whose name indicates a relationship with the Constantinopolitan aristocracy, and whose statue was erected near the Baths of Arcadius, along the steps that led to Topoi.

His father was called Kodisa (as attested by his patronymic 'Tarasicodissa'), his mother Lallis, his brother Longinus. Tarasis was born in Isauria, Cilicia, at Rusumblada, later renamed Zenopolis in Zeno's honour.

Zeno's original name was Tarasis, and more accurately Tarasikodissa in his native Isaurian language ( Latin: Trascalissaeus). Zeno caused Ardabur's fall, producing treacherous letters that linked him to the Sassanid King Ardabur later bribed some of Zeno's soldiers into trying to kill him. A detail of the Missorium of Aspar, depicting the powerful magister militum Aspar and his elder son Ardabur (434 circa).

Dice King instal