Constantine V Copronymus
Constantine V, nicknamed Copronymus (a scatological insult applied by his enemies), was one of the most energetic and polarizing emperors of the Byzantine world. Son of Leo III, he inherited both the throne and his father's iconoclast convictions, which he pursued with far greater theological rigor and state violence. He convened the Council of Hieria in 754, which condemned icon veneration with detailed theological arguments, and then persecuted monks and iconophiles with considerable brutality. His opponents called him a monster; his soldiers loved him as a military genius. Constantine fought a long and largely successful series of campaigns against the Bulgars, repeatedly defeating them in pitched battle. He also restructured the tagmata, elite central regiments that would become the backbone of Byzantine offensive power for centuries. When he died on campaign against the Bulgars in 775, his army mourned him deeply. Later iconophile emperors tried to erase his memory, even digging up his bones.
- Lived: 718 CE – 775 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state, military_leader
