Constantine VI

Constantine VI. ( Κωνσταντῖνος ΣΤ ', * 771, † 797 in Byzantium ) 780 followed his father as Byzantine Emperor Leo IV and ruled until 797 He was the last emperor of the male Syrian dynasty. Since he was very young emperor (about 9 years), acted as regent his ikonodule mother Irene.

787 Irene was an alliance with Charlemagne one, plans were made, whose daughter Rotrud to marry Constantine, but not pursued. 788 Constantine joined a marriage with Mary, a granddaughter of the later canonized Philaretos, an impoverished landowner from Amnia in Paphlagonia.

Constantine was now 16 years old and thus old prevailing opinion enough to take over from his mother's government. However, he had in the Byzantine army in 790, directed against Irene, wait until he actually came to power until an uprising of Armenian soldiers. Irene kept the title of Empress, and Constantine had only the rebellious soldiers beat before they accepted this arrangement.

Also a rebellion of his uncle Nikephoros he had to suppress that had been put in a monastery to prevent him from learning the government craft. He divorced and married again, an unpopular and possibly illegal act, but what the Patriarch ignored.

In 797 another rebellion broke out, this time instigated by Irene's allies and with their consent. Constantine was imprisoned and blinded and died of his wounds inflicted later. He left Irene sole authority over the kingdom.

In the reign of Michael II ( 820-829 ) occurred pretenders who claimed Constantine VI. to be, including Thomas the Slav.