Theodosius III
Theodosius III was the Byzantine emperor from 715 to 717, an unwilling ruler elevated to the throne by mutinous troops and notable primarily for the relative ease with which he surrendered power to Leo the Isaurian. He was reportedly a tax collector or financial official who was selected by the troops of the Opsikion theme when they mutinied against Anastasius II. He reportedly attempted to flee and hide from the soldiers determined to make him emperor. When Leo, the strategos of the Anatolikon theme, declared himself emperor in 717 and marched on Constantinople, Theodosius made the wisest decision of his reign: he negotiated his own abdication rather than fight a civil war while the Arabs prepared to besiege the capital. He abdicated in March 717 and was allowed to retire to a monastery in Ephesus. He lived until approximately 754.
- Lived: 690 CE – 754 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state
