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He was opposed by his father's chamberlain Artabasdus, who attacked Constantine's army while they were on campaign against the Arabs in Anatolia. Artabasdus declared that Constantine had been killed in battle and seized power in Constantinople. Constantine, however, fled to Isauria, rallied his surporters, and besieged the capital in 742. By the end of 743 he had retaken the city and had Artabasdus blinded.

After this he reorganized the themes, the military districts of the empire, and created new divisions called tagmata. He organized these so that they would be more difficult to use in conspiracies. With this reorganized army he recaptured land from the Arabs in 751, who were involved in a civil war of their own. He also defeated the Bulgars in 763.

Constantine continued the iconoclasmLiterally, iconoclasm is the destruction of religious icons and other sacred images or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. People who engage in such practices are called iconoclasts a term that has come to be applied to any person who b of his father Leo IIILeo III the Isaurian (c. 680 June 18, 741) was a Byzantine emperor ( 717- 741). He put an end to a period of instability, successfully defended the empire against the invading Arabs, and adopted the religious policy of iconoclasm. Leo was born in the Syri, actively persecuting iconophiles and monasteriesA monastery is the habitation of monks. Originally: a hermit's cell. Christian monasteries are also called abbey, priory, charterhouse, friary, and preceptory The habitation of nuns is also called a convent. The communal life of a monastery is called ceno. In 753Events Synod of Constantinople called by Emperor Constantine V. Samarkand conquered by Arabs. Staraja Ladoga town founded. Births Deaths Grifo, the illegitimate son of Charles Martel 753. he called a council of iconoclast bishops and clergy, one of the smallest councils ever, to proclaim the veneration of icons a heresyHeresy according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church. This was very unpopular among the general population. In 766Events November 16 Nicetas appointed Patriarch of Constantinople Births January 1 Ali al-Rida, Shia Imam (d. 818) Deaths 766. he persecuted iconophile monkA monk is a male religious ascetic. The word comes from the Greek monachos , commonly translated as a solitary person''. It should be noted, however, that monachos is a word that had to be forged especially to name the then new phenomenon of men living sos and nunA nun is a woman who takes monastic vows. In the Catholic tradition, these are typically vows of stability (that is, to remain a member of a single monastic community), obedience (to an abbess or prioress), and "conversion of life" (which includes the ides by forcing them to hold hands together in the Hippodrome, and had a mob lynch an iconophile hermit named Stephen. He also proclaimed that relics and prayers to the saints were heretical.

While on campaign against the Bulgars, Constantine died on September 14, 775. Iconophiles considered this a divine punishment. They spread the rumour of his baptism and began to use the "Copronymus" nickname. In the 9th century he was disinterred and thrown into the sea.