Constantine IV | Byzantine Dynasty, Iconoclasm, Reformer | Britannica (original) (raw)

Constantine IV (born c. 650—died 685) was a Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685. He was the eldest son of Constans II and became coemperor with him in 654.

Constantine withstood a four-year Arab siege of Constantinople (674–678), greatly enhancing Byzantine prestige and indeed marking a turning point in European history. In the Balkans, however, he could not prevent the Bulgars from crossing the Danube River and establishing their kingdom in the area where their name still survives. He had to recognize their kingdom and pay them annual tribute. Constantine summoned the sixth ecumenical Council of Constantinople (680–681), which condemned Monothelitism and recognized the orthodox Christological doctrine as laid down by the Council of Chalcedon (451). In 681 he deposed and mutilated his younger brothers, who were coemperors with him.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.