Anastasius II (emperor)
Artemius Anastasius (Greek: Ἀρτέμιος Ἀναστάσιος, romanized: Artémios Anastásios; died 719), known as Anastasius II, 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of the Romans | |||||
Solidus of Anastasius II. The inscription reads d n artemius anastasius mul a. | |||||
| Byzantine emperor | |||||
| Reign | 4 June 713 – late 715 | ||||
| Predecessor | Philippicus | ||||
| Successor | Theodosius III | ||||
| Died | 1 June 719 Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) | ||||
| Spouse | Irene | ||||
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| Dynasty | Twenty Years' Anarchy | ||||
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. However, the situation took a turn when Anastasius failed to enter Constantinople, and the Bulgarian forces he had brought with him complied with a request from Leo III to hand over Anastasius and his allies. Consequently, Anastasius was executed alongside other members of the rebellion in 719.