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Leo IV (750-780), also known as Leo the Khazar, was the son of Emperor Constantine V by his first wife, Irene of Khazaria. He became co-emperor in 751, and married a noble Athenian woman also named Irene in 769. Leo became sole emperor in 775 with the death of his father.<br/><br/> Constantine VI (771-804) was the only child of Emperor Leo IV and Empress Irene. He was crowned co-emperor in 776, and became sole emperor in 780, aged only nine. Due to his young age, his mother Irene and her chief minister Staurakios ruled in his stead. However, even when Constantine was of age at sixteen, his mother still refused to hand over executive authority to him.
Constans II (630-668), also called Constantine the Bearded, was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 641 to 668. He was the last emperor to serve as consul, in 642. Under his reign, the Byzantine Empire completely withdrew from Egypt, losing territory to the Arab Caliphate. He became the first emperor to set foot in Rome for two centuries, stripping the city of ornaments and bronze to be brought back to Constantinople.<br/><br/> Constans was assassinated in his bath by his chamberlain in 668. He was succeeded by his son, Constantine IV (652-685), also known as Constantine the Bearded. His rule saw the first serious check to nearly 50 years of uninterrupted Islamic expansion. During the Siege of Constantinople (674-678), he ordered the first known use of Greek fire in combat, ensuring that the siege failed. He also fixed the Church divide with the Sixth Ecumenical Council. He eventually died of dystentry in 685.
Constantine III (612-641), birth name Heraclius Novus Constantinus, was the eldest son of Emperor Heraclius by his first wife Eudokia. He was named co-emperor in 613, and soon betrothed to his second cousin Gregoia, who he eventually married in early 630, the same year their first child, Constans II, was born.<br/><br/> Constantine became senior emperor in 641 after his father's death, and ruled alongside his younger half-brother, Heraklonas (626-641), son of Heraclius' second wife Martina. Constantine died from tuberculosis four months after his accession, but he had worked with his advisors and the army to ensure that his son Constans would succeed him as co-emperor.<br/><br/> Heraklonas, who officially reigned under the name Flavius Constantinus Heraclius, was forced to accept his young nephew as joint emperor after a revolt by the general Valentinus, a friend and associate of Constantine's. Valentinus spread rumours that Heraklonas and his mother were planning to eliminate Constans and his supporters, leading to a revolt that toppled Heraklonas and led to the mutilation and banishment of Heraklonas, his mother and his brothers. Heraklonas is presumed to have died the same year, exiled in Rhodes.
Maurice (539-602) was born in Cappadocia and quickly rose to become a prominent general in his youth, with numerous successes under his belt from campaigning against the Sassanid Empire. He married Constantina, Emperor Tiberius II's daughter, and succeeded his father-in-law as emperor in 582, inheriting a tumultuous situation of numerous warring fronts and high tributes to Avar barbarians.<br/><br/> Maurice quickly brought the war against the Sassanids to a victorious conclusion and vastly expanded the Byzantine Empire's eastern border in the Caucasus. He pushed the Avars back across the Danube River in 599, and became the first Roman emperor to campaign across the Danube in over two centuries. In the West, Maurice established two large semi-autonomous provinces known as exarchates. One was established in Italy, in Ravenna, while the other was in Africa, solidifying Constantinople's power in the western Mediterranean.<br/><br/> Maurice's reign was troubled with almost constant warfare and financial difficulties however, resulting in a dissatisfied general rising up and executing Maurice and his six sons in 602. This proved cataclysmic to the Empire, leading to a twenty-six year war with the Sassanids that left both empires devastated prior to the rise of the Muslim conquests.
Turkey / Byzantium: Justin II (520-578), Byzantine emperor, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, c. 1645. Justin was the nephew of Emperor Justinian I and had supposedly been named his heir on the emperor's deathbed. Justin's early rule relied completely on the support of the aristocratic party, and faced with an empty treasury, he stopped paying off potential enemies as his uncle had done, leading to Avar invasions across the Danube river.
Turkey / Byzantium: Leo III (685-741) and Constantine V (718-775), Byzantine emperors, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, c. 1645. Leo III served under Emperor Justinian II when the emperor was attempting to reclaim his throne. After Justinian's victory, Leo was sent to fight against the Umayyad Caliphate, and was appointed as overall commander by Emperor Anastasius II. Leo became ambitious, and he conspired to overthrow the new Emperor Theodosius III. Entering Constantinople in 717 he forced Theodosius to abdicate. He was succeeded by his son and heir, Constantine V, also known as Constantine the Dung-named.
Heraclius (575-641) was son of Heraclius the Elder, exarch of Africa, who led a revolt against the usurper emperor Phocas, deposing him in 610. Heraclius became emperor and was immediately forced to deal with multiple threats on many frontiers.<br/><br/> One of the main frontiers was the Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602-628 against King Khosrau II and the Sassanid Empire. The Sassanids managed to fight all the way to the walls of Constantinople before failing to penetrate them, allowing Heraclius to counter-attack and drive them all the way back to the capital of Ctesiphon. Khosrau was executed by his son Kavadh II, and a peace treaty was agreed to. The Sassanid Empire soon fell to the Muslim conquests, another threat Heraclius had to deal with.<br/><br/> Heraclius was credited for making Greek the Byzantine Empire's official language, as well as for his enlarging of the empire and his reorganisation of government and military. Though his attempts at religious harmony failed, he was successful in returning the True Cross to Jerusalem.
Turkey / Byzantium: Justin I (450-527), Byzantine emperor, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, c. 1645. Justin I was a peasant and swineherd by birth, and after fleeing to Constantinople from an invasion, joined the army. His ability and skill saw him rise through the ranks to eventually become a general under Emperor Anastasius I. Justin I became so close to the emperor that by the time of his death in 518, Justin had become commander of the Excubitors, the palace guard. He was able to secure election as emperor due to his position and carefully placed bribes to the troops in the city.
Turkey / Byzantium: Marcian (392-457), Byzantine emperor, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, 1645. Marcian was the son of a soldier from either Illyricum or Thracia, and spent much of his early life as an unremarkable soldier. He served under the powerful Alan generals Ardabur and Aspar in Africa, where he was taken prisoner by the Vandals. Returning to Constantinople, he became a senator and was later chosen as consort to Pulcheria, sister of the recently deceased Emperor Theodosius II. Marcian became emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire in 450.
Justinian II (668-711), later known as Justinian the Slit-Nosed, was the eldest son of Emperor Constantine IV, and became joint emperor in 681. He later succeeded his father as sole emperor in 685, aged sixteen. Justinian was ambitious and passionate, wishing to restore the emperor to former glories and past successes.<br/><br/> However, Justinian's lack of finesse and his poor attitude towards any opposition to his will led to resistance throughout his reign. He was eventually deposed in a popular uprising led by Leontios in 695, who proclaimed himself emperor and exiled Justinian after having his nose cut off. Justinian soon began plotting his return from exile in Crimea, gathering supporters to him. Justinian eventually regained the throne in 705 from usurper emperor Tiberios, having both Tiberios and the imprisoned Leontios dragged out in public and executing them.<br/><br/> His second reign was even more contentious, marked by his turning on those who had helped him reclaim the throne. Another uprising eventually occurred, led by the exiled General Bardanes. Justinian, who had been on his way to Armenia, attempted to once more rouse support for his claim, but he was arrested and executed in 711 instead, ending the Heraclian dynasty.
Philippicus (-713), also known as Philippikos Bardanes, was the son of an Armenian patrician in the Byzantine Empire. Not much is known of Philippicus' early years, but he soon had aspirations for the imperial throne, relying heavily on the support of the Monothelite party. However, his attempts during the first great rebellion against Emperor Justinian II failed with his relegation to Cephalonia by Tiberius, who took the throne for himself.<br/><br/> Unhappy with his situation, Philippicus bided his time and began inciting the local inhabitants to revolt, aided by the Khazars. After Justinian II had returned to the throne, Philippicus finally struck and managed to seize Constantinople, leading to Justinian's later assassination as he attempted to rally support in the provinces.<br/><br/> Philippicus immediately began his reign by changing the religious leaders of the empire to suit his sect, leading to the Roman Church refusing to recognise him. He also faced Bulgarian raids and Arabian attacks, ultimately resulting in a rebellion in Thrace which saw several officers enter the capital city and blind Philippicus in 713. He died later in the same year, succeeded by his prinicipal secretary Artemius, who took the name Anastasius II.
Leontios (660-706), sometimes spelt Leontius, was an Isaurian citizen of the Byzantine Empire, enlisting as a soldier from an early age and swiftly rising through the ranks under the reign of Emperor Constantine IV. When he was appointed to lead the Byzantine army against the Arabs in Armenia and Georgia by Emperor Justinian II in 686, Leontios proved himself to be a ruthless, but successful leader, forcing substantial tributes from the Arabs.<br/><br/> However, his successes would turn to disaster in a renewed Arab war in 692, when he was defeated and lost a large portion of his army. Furious at the losses, Justinian imprisoned him for over two years. When he was freed in 695, Leontios immediately organised a revolt against the emperor, deposing Justinian and claiming the throne for himself. He ordered Justinian's nose and tongue to be slit before exiling him to Crimea.<br/><br/> Leontios refrained from major military operations during his reign, which led to the loss of Carthage to the Arabs in 697. The fleet he sent to retake the city was defeated, and rebelled in 698 rather than admit failure, naming the Germanic sailor Apsimaros as their leader. He changed his name to Tiberius III and returned to Constantinople to overthrow Leontios. Leontios was imprisoned, his nose and tongue slit. Years later in 705, Justinian returned to the throne, and he executed both Leontios and Tiberius after paradiing them through the streets.
Turkey / Byzantium: Anastasius II (-719), Byzantine emperor, from the book <i>Icones imperatorvm romanorvm</i> (Icons of Roman Emperors), Antwerp, c. 1645. Anastasius II, also known as Anastasios II and originally named Artemius, was a bureaucrat and imperial secretary in the Byzantine court. He was proclaimed emperor by the Opsician army after they had overthrown Emperor Philippicus. Changing his name to Anastasius, he took the throne and turned on those who had aided his rise by executing those directly involved in the conspiracy against Philippicus.
Constantine V (718-775), also known as Constantine the Dung-named, was the son of Emperor Leo III. He succeeded his father in 741, but was almost immediately betrayed by his own brother-in-law Artabasdos, who attacked him while Constantine was crossing Asia Minor to campaign against the Umayyad Caliphate. Constantine was defeated and had to retreat to Amorion, while Artabasdos entered Constantinople and became emperor.<br/><br/> Constantine eventually retook the throne in 743, having his rivals blinded and executed. He became an even more fervent iconoclast than his father, which was what led to the derogatory surname of 'Dung-named', given to him by religious enemies opposed to his rejection of the veneration of holy images.<br/><br/> Constantine was also an able administrator and general, and waged wars against the Umayyad Caliphate and the Bulgarians. It was while campaigning in the Balkans against the latter that he died in 775, and was promptly succeeded by his eldest son and co-emperor Leo IV.
Constantine VI (771-804) was the only child of Emperor Leo IV and Empress Irene. He was crowned co-emperor in 776, and became sole emperor in 780, aged only nine. Due to his young age, his mother Irene and her chief minister Staurakios ruled in his stead. However, even when Constantine was of age at sixteen, his mother still refused to hand over executive authority to him.<br/><br/> Constantine was to marry Rotrude, the daughter of the future Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, in 788, but his mother broke off the engagement and instead supported Charlemagne's enemies. When Irene attempted to get official recognition as empress in 790, the plan backfired and Constantine was finally given the throne through military support, though his mother was still allowed to keep the title of empress.<br/><br/> Constantine soon proved he was not a capable leader however, suffering humiliating defeats at the hands of the Arabs and Bulgarians. When his uncle was favoured to replace him, he had his eyes put out and the tongues of his other uncles torn off. He became vastly unpopular, and in 797 was himself blinded and imprisoned by his mother's supporters. Irene was then crowned as Constantinople's first Empress Regnant. Constantine's date of death is unknown, though it was definitely before 805. Irene herself ruled until she was overthrown in 802, where she was then exiled to Lesbos and died the following year.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Pertinax (126-193 CE) was born the son of a freed slave, and worked as a teacher before becoming an officer in the army. Successful campaigns against the Parthians saw him rise in rank and prestige, with Pertinax eventually rising to become a member of the Senate.<br/><br/> Pertinax was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard after the death of Commodus, where he immediately tried to institute several sweeping reforms. One of these reforms was the restoration of discipline amongst the pampered Praetorian Guard, making enemies that ultimately resulted in Pertinax's assassination by members of the Guard just under three months into his reign. After his death, the Praetorians acutioned off the imperial title, resulting in a brief civil war and the year 193 CE becoming known as the Year of the Five Emperors.<br/><br/> Pertinax was later deified by Septimius Severus, the emperor after Pertinax's successor, Didius Julianus. His reputation throughout history has largely been a positive one, though his short reign has made it difficult to dertermine what his rule would have truly been like.