During the night of 8–9 July 518, Anastasius died and his "silentarii", a senior servant, summoned Justin and Celer to his deathbed. Celer was the "magister officiorum" (master of offices) and commander of the palace regiments of the "Scholae Palatinae", a force of parade-ground display troops. By morning the event had been announced throughout the capital, Constantinople. The high officials, including John of Cappadocia, the recently appointed Patriarch of Constantinople, were summoned to the Great Palace for the election of a new emperor. Meanwhile, the people gathered in the Hippodrome of Constantinople and awaited the proclamation of the name of the new emperor.