Anastasios II (700–719)
Born 700 CE, died 719 CE.
Anastasius II (Greek: Ἀναστάσιος, romanized: Anastásios; died 719), born Artemius (Greek: Ἀρτέμιος, romanized: Artémios), was the Byzantine emperor from 713 to 715. His reign was marked by significant religious and political decisions aimed at stabilizing the Empire. One of his notable actions was reversing the previous appointment of a Monothelete patriarch of Constantinople, instead reinstating Orthodoxy by appointing Germanus I to the position. This move was made in an effort to gain the favor of Pope Constantine. Anastasius II dedicated his efforts to fortifying the Empire and fostering a period of stability. However, his reign was cut short when he was deposed by Theodosius III during the Byzantine campaign against the Umayyad Caliphate in 715. Undeterred, four years later, in 719, Anastasius launched a rebellion against Leo III the Isaurian in a bid to reclaim the imperial throne. Initially, Anastasius received support from Tervel of Bulgaria, who provided soldiers and funds for his cause.
Text from the Wikipedia article Anastasius_II_(emperor), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.