Crawford, Peter Emperor Leo III the Isaurian. Imperial Saviour, Christian Icon Breaker?

The Roman Empire (which had long been ruled from Constantinople) found itself in a dangerous and turbulent situation in the early 8th century. Surrounded by expansionist enemies, primarily the Muslim Arab Umayyad Caliphate, but also the Khazars, Slavs, Avars, Bulgars and Lombards, it was also plagued by religious controversy and internal political instability. When Leo III came to the throne through a conspiracy in 717, he was the fourth emperor since the assassination of Justinian II six years earlier. Just a few weeks after his accession to the throne, he was confronted with a year-long siege of his capital by the Arabs. The siege was eventually broken (with the help of the secret weapon, Greek fire), but this was only the first of many crises Leo had to deal with during his twenty-four year reign. There were a number of rebellions during his reign, and Peter Crawford examines how Leo dealt with these (and the extent to which his own policies caused them). Considerable space is given to the major religious developments of his reign, the triggering of Iconoclasm, its impact on the empire and the damage to the reputation of Leo and much of his dynasty. He also looks at various aspects of Leo's administration: Coinage, provincial infrastructure, civil law and foreign policy. This is a thorough and fascinating reassessment of a ruler who saved the empire from ruin and led it through a period of real crisis.