Which Roman emperor abolished the chrysargyron tax in 498 CE?

Byzantine emperor Anastasius I abolished the chrysargyron tax in 498 CE.

The chrysargyron was a levy on commercial activity in the Eastern Roman Empire. Its name combined Greek words associated with gold and silver, reflecting the expectation that traders and artisans pay in precious-metal coin. The tax was collected periodically and could be burdensome for small businesses.

Anastasius I, who ruled from 491 to 518, ended the levy as part of a broader program of financial reform. The abolition was recorded by contemporary and near-contemporary writers as a major relief for urban commerce. It did not mean that Byzantine trade became tax-free: customs duties, land taxes, and other charges remained.

The tax is sometimes confused with a general sales tax or with the later Byzantine kommerkion. The latter was a customs duty, whereas the chrysargyron was a recurring commercial tax within the empire.