Constantine III (Byzantine emperor)
| Constantine III | |||||||||
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| Emperor of the Romans | |||||||||
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| Byzantine emperor | |||||||||
| Reign | 11 February – 25 May 641 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Heraclius | ||||||||
| Successor | Heraklonas | ||||||||
| Co-emperor | Heraklonas | ||||||||
| Born | 3 May 612[1] | ||||||||
| Died | 25 May 641(?)[a] (aged 29) Chalcedon, Bithynia | ||||||||
| Spouse | Gregoria | ||||||||
| Issue | Constans II Theodosius | ||||||||
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| Dynasty | Heraclian dynasty | ||||||||
| Father | Heraclius | ||||||||
| Mother | Eudokia | ||||||||
| Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity | ||||||||
| Heraclian dynasty | ||
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Constantine III or Heraclius Constantine (Latin: Heraclius Constantinus; Greek: Ἡράκλειος Κωνσταντῖνος, Herákleios Kōnstantînos; 3 May 612 – 20 April or 24/26 May 641), was the shortest reigning Byzantine emperor, ruling for three months in 641. He was the eldest son of Emperor Heraclius and his first wife Eudokia.
Reign[edit]
Constantine was crowned co-emperor by his father on 22 January 613 and shortly after was betrothed to his cousin, Gregoria, a daughter of his father's first cousin, Nicetas.[4] As the couple were second cousins, the marriage was technically incestuous, but this consideration must have been outweighed by the advantages of the match to the family as a whole. Furthermore, its illegality paled into insignificance beside Heraclius' marriage to his niece Martina the same year. In comparison, Constantine's marriage was far less scandalous than that of his father.[5]
Constantine became senior Emperor when his father died on 11 February 641. He reigned together with his younger half-brother Heraklonas, the son of Martina. His supporters feared action against him on the part of Martina and Heraklonas, and the treasurer Philagrius advised him to write to the army, informing them that he was dying and asking for their assistance in protecting the rights of his children. He also sent a vast sum of money, more than two million solidi (gold coins), to Valentinus, an adjutant of Philagrius, to distribute to the soldiers to persuade them to secure the succession for his sons after his death. He died of tuberculosis after only three months, on 25 May, leaving Heraklonas sole emperor.[5] A rumor that Martina had him poisoned led first to the imposition of Constans II as co-emperor and then to the deposition, mutilation, and banishment of Martina and her sons.[4]
Family[edit]
In 629 or 630, Constantine married Gregoria, the daughter of Niketas.[4] They had two sons:
- Constans II, who succeeded as emperor
- Theodosius[6]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Or, according to the Necrologium, 20 April, which would make a total reign of 99 days (counting from 11 January) as opposed to the "103 days" (from 11 February) stated in De Ceremoniis.[2] The latter date, 11 February, is traditionally the most accepted.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire III, pp. 349-350
- ^ Grierson, Philip; Mango, Cyril; Ševčenko, Ihor (1962). "The Tombs and Obits of the Byzantine Emperors (337–1042); With an Additional Note". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 16: 1–63. doi:10.2307/1291157. ISSN 0070-7546. JSTOR 1291157.
- ^ Franzius, Enno (2021). "Heraclius". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ^ a b c Khazdan, p. 917
- ^ a b Ostrogorski, pp. 100-101.
- ^ Bury, J.B. (1889). "Genealogical Table of the House of Heraclius". A History of the Later Roman Empire: From Arcadius to Irene. Macmillan Publishers. p. vi.
Literature[edit]
- Ostrogorsky, George (1956). History of the Byzantine State. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
- Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). "Herakleios Constantine". The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 917. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
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Constantine III (Byzantine emperor) Born: 3 May 612 Died: 20 April or 24/26 May 641
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Heraclius |
Byzantine emperor 613–641 with Heraclius, 613–641 Heraklonas, 641 |
Succeeded by Heraklonas |
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| National libraries | |
