The Masters of the City of Constantine: Emperors of Constantinople
Chapter: The Reign of Constans II
by Gerald Thorovold
The Reign of Constans II began shortly after the death of his father, Constantine III, in 641 CE due to Tuberculosis, but prominent health issues always plagued the family of a Heraclius. On his Ascension as Emperor, he was only eleven years of age and as such until he became of age (648) he was under the regency of the Patriarch of Constantinople, Paul II. Of course, as with many young kings in history, the court in Constantinople became a battleground of political infighting as prominent persons within the Empire battled to gain political influence with and over the young Emperor. The Patriarch Paul though managed to maintain the stability of Constans' reign and his own influence, pressuring the the Slavs and other tribes on the Danube border and halting the expansion of the Lombards for a time in Italy. Tasks that would be picked up shortly by Constans himself.
The peace with the Tapurianis was maintained in part as war weariness in the East still persisted, a lack of confrontation on the part of the Tapurianis, and it was perceived that threats to the West were of more urgent in nature. During his reign he reconquered the rest of lost Byzantine territory south of the Danube (with exception to a enclave in Epirus) and expanded north of the Danube, breaking and briefly conquering the Slavs of Slavakia and diminished the Avar Khaganate in campaigns from 645-652. As a unexpected consequence of his actions and to show future events to come under his successors, the Bulgar Khaganate moved into the region as well, conquering the Avars and several Slavic tribes-settling from the Pannonia Plan to the Black Sea north of the Danube river. An attempt by the Avars to reassert their Independence in the closing years of the 7th Century would fail and from then on the region would become known as 'Bulgaria'.
Securing Byzantine interests in the Haemus Peninsula the Emperor took a break from border affairs and during a period of external inactivity he turned to domestic affairs. Namely, the state of Monothelitism. Initially, Monothelitism had been pressed as an 'Doctrine of One Will' by heads in the church, and briefly endorsed by Heraclius, to fix the divide between the Imperial Christians who believed in dyothelitism or that Christ had Two Natures (not to be confused with the Church of the East's views on a stronger divide between Human Jesus and Divine Christ, and their views on the title of Mary) and the Miaphysites who believed a single Christ-being. The divide between Imperial Christians and Miaphysites had only grown following Heraclius, notably under the reign of Constantine III who generally persecuted the Miaphysites during the War of Three Sons. By this time during the reign of Constans the policy of Monothelitism was all but, dead on its feet as by this point Pope Theodore, and the Patriarchs of the East disfavored it. Patriarch Paul had been a Monothelite and his support kept persecution against the creed, but his successor Pyhrrus by his appointment in 653 was not.
Fed up with the infighting the creed produced, and perhaps preparing for his campaigns in Italy, Constans declared his own end of support for Monothelitism to end the debate. Though, he did not really pursue an active condemnation of the Monothelites and Miaphysites (who themselves often enough did not agree with the Monothelites) possibly preventing an revolt in the East.
In 654 Constans began to make moves toward retaking the Italian Peninsula from the hands of the Arian Lombards under Rodoald, preparing for campaigns in 658. While, a known seeker of woman he built upon the efforts of his father, Rothari, who had sorely reduced Byzantine holdings in Italy to Ravenna, Rome, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and small holds on the toe and heel of the peninsula. To attack any of the Byzantine islands was unfeasible as the Byzantine navy ruled the waves. The West Franks and East Franks were once more divided and at war with one another as Palace politics lead to yet another generational conflict that left the stage of fighting in Italy only between Rodoald and Constans.
The Constans Campaign started intially with Constans naming his oldest son, Tiberius[1], Co-Emperor to maintain affairs in Constantinople while he campaigned in the West. He also killed his younger brother Theodosius to ensure the stability of his regime, thus continuing a trend of fratricide that had started under his father. Gathering the army he sailed to Ravenna and Sicily. Drawing up support from the Exarch of Carthage he maintained his center of operations in Sicily where Byzantine naval superiority could best maintain operations in the region. Launching a two pronged attack in 659 his forces in Ravenna attacked Rodoald in North Italy while he lead an assault in the south against the Duchy of Benevento. While fighting in the North became a stand still, initially Constans managed to overrun large portions of southern Italy from 659-663, before a period of stormy weather weakened his supply line and forced him to give up most of his initial gains after an offensive by Rodoald brought the Lombard to the gates of Ravenna.
The fighting ended in a stalemate, greatly frustrating Constans who had done so well in the Haemus Peninsula. Perhaps taking and blaming his failures on part on his Italian subjects he visited Rome and Ravenna, stripping the cities of much of their local wealth, stripping bronze from the Pantheon and other local monuments, which he shipped back to Constantinople. Further frustrations in Italy lead to conflict with the Romans as he ordered the Pope to be subordinate to the Archbishop of Ravenna, who was his local representative. Were Rome not on a knife's edge between the Lombards and Emperor the city may have revolted.
From 665-668 he once more planned to invade Italy, but other border issues he had allowed to pop up during his attention toward Italy once more emerged. Bulgars began attacks on the Byzantines in the Haemus, forcing the Byzantines to lose their holdings north of the Danube. The Visigoths became ambitious and raided the coastline of Africa. The Ghassanids who had been alienated by Constantine III made raids into the Diocese of the East. Constans would travel back and forth across the sea putting out these small fires that popped up personally. In 672 rumors spread that he planned to move his capital to Syracuse so that he could once more invade Italy and position his administration to handle concerns in both East and West. This created a riot in Constantinople, which Constans decided he would personally put down. During a battle in the streets of the city he was ambushed and killed or perhaps assassinated.
Nonetheless, Tiberius shortly after proclaimed himself the sole Emperor and had his brother, Justinian II [2], killed to ensure his own security.
[1]-Not OTL Tiberius.
[2]- Not OTL Justinian II.