BYZANTINE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE V, 'THE DUNG-NAMED': General, Patriarch, Iconoclast, Reformer

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Brilliant general and reformer, Constantine V strengthened Byzantium but was reviled for his harsh iconoclasm. Explores how his reign effectively strengthened the Empire, which was on the brink of collapse at the end of the Heraclian dynasty, and how he is generally regarded as one of the most capable men to rule from Constantinople. A ruthless persecutor and iconoclast, he was, however, reviled and maligned by the monastic historians of the church. Posits that his true brilliance and accomplishments would always be overshadowed by the name they bestowed upon him after his death: Copronymos ('the dung-named'). He was compared to a summoner of demons, a magician or even a precursor to the Antichrist. Contains 16 color illustrations.