Leo III the Isaurian
Leo III. ( called Greek Λέων Γ ' ὁ Ἰσαυρóς Leon III ho Isaurós, Leon the Isaurian. '; * to 680 in Germanikeia, † June 18 741 ) was Byzantine Emperor 717-741. He founded the Syrian dynasty, which often (though incorrectly ) is called the Isaurian dynasty.
Life
Climb to Kaiser
Leo, who had been born around 680 in Germanikeia in the Southeast Anatolian landscape Commagene and actually Conon was called, was still moved as a child with his family. The epithet " the Isaurian " is probably based on a mistake of a Byzantine chronicler. Leo was married to a certain Maria, with whom he had four children: son Konstantin and daughters Anna, Kosmo and Irene.
Leo received military training, served under Emperor Justinian II and was Anastasios II may commander of the troops in the topic Anatolikon. According to another source, he served as a senior officer ( Spatharios ) in the topic Anatolikon.
717 Leo was against Theodosius III. raised to the Emperor, but vary in the sources relevant details: time is of a choice by the soldiers of the speech, in other sources it is said Theodosius was considered in the capital as incompetent and several people from the elite of Constantinople would then Leo to new emperor elected. Anyway, Theodosius was deposed and Leo came to the throne, but saw himself confronted with several problems at the beginning of his reign.
Foreign Policy
The first year of the reign of Leo III. was marked by the second attack of the Arabs who sent a large army to the Bosporus in the turmoil weakened by Byzantine Empire, Constantinople on Opel. Through fierce resistance and shiny tactics with which the new ruler tired the invaders, but also due to a harsh winter and a Bulgarian invasion, the Arabs moved 718 back. A significant advantage of the Byzantines was the use of Greek fire, which the Byzantine fleet was able to keep the Arab largely in check. After the invaders were repulsed, structured Leo the administrative level to. He secured especially the boundaries by quartering Slavic settlers in sparsely populated areas and restored the efficiency of the army. Nevertheless, the Byzantine Asia Minor continued to focus even after the defense of the Arabs 718 under strong pressure. Repeatedly fell Arab troops in Asia Minor and ransacked vast tracts of land, but retreated in the winter to go back again. In 740 Leo, however, managed to beat the Arabs at Akroinon, which, combined with a civil war in the Caliphate, Byzantium gave a respite.
To 732 joined Leo an alliance with the Khazars, after already 718 an alliance with the Bulgarians had come about. 735/36 was a naval expedition against the Lombards in southern Italy.
Domestic political reforms and the beginning of the so-called iconoclasm
Leo's most important domestic political aspiration was to strengthen its position in the empire after it was 718 and 727 come to Usurpationsversuchen. In this context, the coronation of his son Constantine can be seen as co-emperor (720, so even as a toddler ). About special domestic policies Leos, however, only relatively little is known: Social reforms such as the abolition of pre payable taxes were by him on track. The Emperor undertook a financial reform, the taxpayers were detected more accurately. The antiquated Roman families and maritime law was reformed. Despite the clerical and aristocratic resistance 741 new legislative texts were created ( Eclogue [" selection " ] ).
The most debated question concerning the reign of Leo III. refers to the so-called Iconoclastic Controversy (also iconoclasm - "Pictures destruction "). To baptize After a seemingly successful attempt, all Jews and Montanists of the empire 722, he is said to have adopted a number of edicts against the worship of images, but this is now again very controversial. 726 (according to other considerations 730) to Leo in any case after a volcanic eruption in the Aegean have removed before the Imperial Palace, an icon of Christ, but this process is only biased sources. The reasons for Leo's approach (if it has so held ) have been debated repeatedly in research. Some see a possible reason in Leos Syrian origin. To the east of the Empire, the worship of images was less widespread; she was seen generally as a kind of idolatry. Are also possible influences from the Islamic world have been where the veneration of images was generally rejected; However, this argument is now likely to be rejected, as the iconoclastic emperors were devout Christians and image representations replaced by cross representations that were outlawed in the Islamic world. The Patriarch Germanos of Constantinople Opel was 730 forced to resign.
It must be emphasized in this context that we are in fact only sources of the winner, who Ikonodulen ( the images worshipers ) are available. Thus, the modern image of the emperor (and his successors ) is already distorted from the outset. Modern research has, therefore, many of the statements, long relativized in the sources, which affects about the hardness of the procedure Leos. So it is very unlikely that a general ban was handed down; reliable evidence missing, especially since apparently still 727 icons could be openly shown in Constantinople Opel. Similarly, the Emperor seems to have quite get support not only in the east of the empire. Serious opposition had Leo does not seem to fear. Icons appear to have been not systematically removed or destroyed.
In Italy, there was a serious dispute between Leo III. on the one hand and the Popes Gregory II and Gregory III. on the other hand, however, the background was scarcely images question. Rather, it was about the increased tax pressure which the Emperor had on the western plains. It was only later sources, made by the Ikonodulen, sharpened the debate on the images alone to question. Nevertheless, it undoubtedly came to an estrangement between East and West, as a synod under Gregory III. condemned the iconoclasts, but in fact had no effect; Leo responded by several dioceses in southern Italy he withdrew the jurisdiction of the Pope.
In summary, it is more than doubtful whether the iconoclastic controversy in the days of Pope Leo has really had this catastrophic domestic political consequences, as provided by the ( image- friendly ) historiography (see Theophanes and Nicephorus ) is suggested. Anyway, succeeded Leo III. , The realm of foreign policy to stabilize and establish a dynasty that was to rule over 80 years.