Eastern Rome and the Rise of Islam by Heilo Olof

Author:Heilo, Olof
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

2 Showdown at the Bosporus

In the year 705, the nose-less Justinian II had returned to power in Constantinople and triumphed over the usurpers who had claimed the imperial title in his absence. Since they bore the convenient names Leontius and Apsimar, he received the cheers of the crowd to the words of the Biblical Psalm where the faithful are encouraged to trample upon adders (ἀσπίδα), lions (λέοντα), dragons and basilisks. However, the ensuing reign of terror would not last long: in 711, a new revolt made off with the emperor once and for all. His six-year-old son Tiberius was “slaughtered like a sheep”.25

A crisis in government followed. Three emperors replaced each other within six years: Bardanes or Philippicus (711–713), an Armenian who caused a religious row by digging up the old issue about a theological compromise with the Oriental churches, but proved unable to deal with an immediate Bulgarian threat to the capital; Artemius or Anastasius II (713–715), a civil servant who lost the support of the western Anatolian troops who made him emperor; and finally Theodosius III (715–717), a poor customs officer from Ephesus who was declared emperor in spite of his vehement protests but somehow managed to reconcile the Bulgarians.

The caliph al-Walīd died in the same year and was succeeded by his younger brother Sulaymān, who became the first caliph to bear the name of a prophet.26 He also came to power as the first Islamic centennial was drawing near, almost 100 lunar years having passed since the emigration of the prophet to Medina, which seems to have carried a certain significance for apocalyptic expectations of the time.27 Whether motivated by this or by the political confusion in Constantinople, Sulayman launched the biggest campaign ever for conquering the Roman capital.

What happened then is extremely obscure. It seems that when the Muslim land forces reached Amorion, the main city of Roman Anatolia, they tried to gain access by flattering its στρατηγός or general by calling him emperor and encouraging those in the city to do the same.

What was the name of the general? Most reports agree that he was called Leo, which in Greek (Λέων) as well as Latin means “lion”, but a number of stubborn rumours want to have it that his real name was Konon and that the name Leo merely served as a cover-up for his foreign origin.28

From where, then, did he come? Some chroniclers would claim that his family came from the Anatolian province of Isauria, hence he is usually known as Leo the Isaurian. Other reports state that his family came from Syria. There is some consensus about his connection with the main border city known as Germanikeia in Greek and Marash in Arabic. He is sometimes supposed to have been fluent in both languages.29

What were his aims? Whereas it is clear that he had made a career in the service of the emperor, we also hear of him advising the caliph in Damascus on the new expedition to Constantinople, and he is supposed to have gained the confidence of the Umayyad general, who stayed with him for a time in Amorion.

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