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Constantine IV
Constantine IV (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος, romanized: Kōnstantīnos; Latin: Constantinus; c. 650 – 10 July 685), called the Younger (Greek: ὁ νέος, romanized: ho Néos) and often incorrectly the Bearded (Greek: Πωγωνᾶτος, romanized: Pōgōnãtos) out of confusion with his father, was Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685. His reign saw the first serious check to nearly 50 years of uninterrupted Arab expansion, most notably his successful defence of Constantinople, and the temporary stabilization of the Byzantine Empire after decades of war, defeats, and civil strife. His calling of the Sixth Ecumenical Council saw the end of the monothelitism controversy in the Byzantine Empire; for this, he is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, with his feast day on September 3.
The eldest son of Constans II and Fausta, daughter of patrician Valentinus, Constantine IV had been named a co-emperor with his father in 654, almost certainly in Easter (13 April). His year of birth is unknown, but often given as c. 650. He became emperor in September 668, when news arrived at Constantinople that Constans II had been assassinated in Sicily.
The first task before the new Emperor was the suppression of the military revolt in Sicily under Mezezius which had led to his father's death. Within seven months of his accession, Constantine IV had dealt with the insurgency with the support of Pope Vitalian, but this success was overshadowed by troubles in the east.
As early as 668 the Caliph Muawiyah I received an invitation from Saborios, the commander of the troops in Armenia, to help overthrow the Emperor at Constantinople. He sent an army under his son Yazid against the Byzantine Empire. Yazid reached Chalcedon and took the important Byzantine center Amorion. While the city was quickly recovered, the Arabs next attacked Carthage and Sicily in 669. In 670 the Arabs captured Cyzicus and set up a base from which to launch further attacks into the heart of the Empire. Their fleet captured Smyrna and other coastal cities in 672. Also, in 672, the Arabs sent a large fleet to attack Constantinople by sea. While Constantine was distracted by this, the Slavs laid siege to Thessalonica.
Modern scholarship has re-evaluated the first Arab siege of Constantinople, which has traditionally been dated to 674–678. Recent research suggests that the events more likely occurred between 667 and 669.
In 663, Emperor Constans II relocated the imperial residence to Syracuse, transferring a significant portion of the Byzantine military to Sicily. This move weakened the defenses of Constantinople and left the capital more exposed to Arab attacks. Arab raids into Anatolia had already begun by c. 662 – c. 663, shortly after Muʿāwiya I consolidated his control over the Caliphate following a period of internal conflict. One of these expeditions, led by Busr ibn Abī Artāt, reportedly reached the outskirts of Constantinople and plundered nearby settlements.
During this period, the Byzantine military was unable to repel the incursions effectively. The situation encouraged Saborios, the commander of the Armeniac Theme, to rebel against imperial authority with Arab support. Although Saborios died before his plans were realized, Muʿāwiya proceeded with a large-scale campaign intended to pressure the Byzantine Empire.
In the summer of 667, Muʿāwiya dispatched an army under the command of Fadālah ibn ʿUbayd al-Ansarī towards Constantinople, while a fleet led by his son, Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya, advanced by sea. The land forces conducted raids across Anatolia and reached Chalcedon by late 667, where they wintered. Yazīd's fleet, composed of Syrian and Egyptian contingents, arrived in the same area by autumn. According to al-Tabarī, several notable figures of early Islam accompanied Yazīd, including ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿUmar, ʿAbdallāh ibn al-Zubayr, and Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī.
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Constantine IV
Constantine IV (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος, romanized: Kōnstantīnos; Latin: Constantinus; c. 650 – 10 July 685), called the Younger (Greek: ὁ νέος, romanized: ho Néos) and often incorrectly the Bearded (Greek: Πωγωνᾶτος, romanized: Pōgōnãtos) out of confusion with his father, was Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685. His reign saw the first serious check to nearly 50 years of uninterrupted Arab expansion, most notably his successful defence of Constantinople, and the temporary stabilization of the Byzantine Empire after decades of war, defeats, and civil strife. His calling of the Sixth Ecumenical Council saw the end of the monothelitism controversy in the Byzantine Empire; for this, he is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, with his feast day on September 3.
The eldest son of Constans II and Fausta, daughter of patrician Valentinus, Constantine IV had been named a co-emperor with his father in 654, almost certainly in Easter (13 April). His year of birth is unknown, but often given as c. 650. He became emperor in September 668, when news arrived at Constantinople that Constans II had been assassinated in Sicily.
The first task before the new Emperor was the suppression of the military revolt in Sicily under Mezezius which had led to his father's death. Within seven months of his accession, Constantine IV had dealt with the insurgency with the support of Pope Vitalian, but this success was overshadowed by troubles in the east.
As early as 668 the Caliph Muawiyah I received an invitation from Saborios, the commander of the troops in Armenia, to help overthrow the Emperor at Constantinople. He sent an army under his son Yazid against the Byzantine Empire. Yazid reached Chalcedon and took the important Byzantine center Amorion. While the city was quickly recovered, the Arabs next attacked Carthage and Sicily in 669. In 670 the Arabs captured Cyzicus and set up a base from which to launch further attacks into the heart of the Empire. Their fleet captured Smyrna and other coastal cities in 672. Also, in 672, the Arabs sent a large fleet to attack Constantinople by sea. While Constantine was distracted by this, the Slavs laid siege to Thessalonica.
Modern scholarship has re-evaluated the first Arab siege of Constantinople, which has traditionally been dated to 674–678. Recent research suggests that the events more likely occurred between 667 and 669.
In 663, Emperor Constans II relocated the imperial residence to Syracuse, transferring a significant portion of the Byzantine military to Sicily. This move weakened the defenses of Constantinople and left the capital more exposed to Arab attacks. Arab raids into Anatolia had already begun by c. 662 – c. 663, shortly after Muʿāwiya I consolidated his control over the Caliphate following a period of internal conflict. One of these expeditions, led by Busr ibn Abī Artāt, reportedly reached the outskirts of Constantinople and plundered nearby settlements.
During this period, the Byzantine military was unable to repel the incursions effectively. The situation encouraged Saborios, the commander of the Armeniac Theme, to rebel against imperial authority with Arab support. Although Saborios died before his plans were realized, Muʿāwiya proceeded with a large-scale campaign intended to pressure the Byzantine Empire.
In the summer of 667, Muʿāwiya dispatched an army under the command of Fadālah ibn ʿUbayd al-Ansarī towards Constantinople, while a fleet led by his son, Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya, advanced by sea. The land forces conducted raids across Anatolia and reached Chalcedon by late 667, where they wintered. Yazīd's fleet, composed of Syrian and Egyptian contingents, arrived in the same area by autumn. According to al-Tabarī, several notable figures of early Islam accompanied Yazīd, including ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAbdallāh ibn ʿUmar, ʿAbdallāh ibn al-Zubayr, and Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī.