Constantine V Copronymus
| Constantine V | |
|---|---|
Constantine V and his father Leo III the Isaurian
|
|
| Emperor of the Byzantine Empire | |
| Reign | 18 June 741–14 September 775 |
| Predecessor | Leo III the Isaurian |
| Successor | Leo IV the Khazar |
| Born | July 718 Constantinople |
| Died | 14 September 775 (aged 57) |
| Wives | |
| Issue |
Leo IV Nikephoros, Caesar, Christopher, Caesar Niketas, Nobelissimos, Eudokimos, Nobelissimos, Anthimos, Nobelissimos, Anthousa (Saint Anthousa) |
| Dynasty | Isaurian dynasty |
| Father | Leo III the Isaurian |
| Mother | Maria |
| Isaurian or Syrian dynasty | |||
| Chronology | |||
| Leo III | 717–741 | ||
| with Constantine V as co-emperor, 720–751 | |||
| Constantine V | 741–775 | ||
| with Leo IV as co-emperor, 751–775 | |||
| Artabasdos' usurpation | 741–743 | ||
| Leo IV | 775–780 | ||
| with Constantine VI as co-emperor, 776–780 | |||
| Constantine VI | 780–797 | ||
| under Irene as regent, 780–790, and with her as co-regent, 792–797 | |||
| Irene as empress regnant | 797–802 | ||
| Succession | |||
|
Preceded by Twenty Years' Anarchy |
Followed by Nikephorian dynasty |
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Constantine V (718 – September 14, 775) (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Ε΄, Kōnstantinos V; denigrated by his enemies as Kopronymos or Copronymus, meaning the dung-named) was Byzantine emperor from 741 to 775.
Constantine was born in Constantinople, the son and successor of Emperor Leo III and Maria. In August 720 he was associated on the throne by his father, who had him marry Tzitzak, daughter of the Khazar khagan Bihar. His new bride was baptized as Irene (Eirēnē, "peace") in 732. Constantine V succeeded his father as sole emperor on 18 June 741.
In June 741 or 742, while Constantine was crossing Asia Minor to campaign on the eastern frontier against the Umayyad Caliphate under Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, he was attacked by the forces of his brother-in-law Artabasdos, husband of his older sister, Anna. Artabasdos was the stratēgos of the Armeniac theme.
Constantine was defeated and sought refuge in Amorion, while Artabasdos advanced on Constantinople and was accepted as Emperor. Constantine received the support of the Anatolic and Thracesian themes; Artabasdos secured the support of the themes of Thrace and Opsikion, in addition to his own Armeniac soldiers.
The rival emperors bided their time making military preparations. Artabasdos marched against Constantine in May 743 but was defeated. Three months later Constantine defeated Artabasdos' son Niketas and headed for Constantinople. In early November Constantine was admitted into the capital and immediately turned on his opponents, having them blinded or executed.
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