Constantine IV
Constantine IV was the Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685 and the savior of Constantinople from the first major Arab siege of the city. Coming to the throne at roughly sixteen years of age, he faced a sustained Arab attempt to capture Constantinople conducted from 674 to 678. Byzantine defenders employed Greek fire with devastating effectiveness against Arab ships. In 678 the Arabs withdrew, having suffered catastrophic losses. This outcome was one of the most consequential defensive victories in world history. Constantine IV also convened the Third Council of Constantinople from 680 to 681, which condemned Monothelitism as heresy and restored Chalcedonian orthodoxy, healing the schism with Rome. He died in 685 of dysentery at around thirty-three years of age.
- Lived: 652 CE – 685 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state, military_leader
