Constantine IV 652 – 685

Biography

Constantine IV was born on January 1, 652, in Constantinople, the heart of the Byzantine Empire. He would go on to serve as emperor from 668 until his death, guiding the empire through a formative period of its long history. Throughout his reign, Constantine IV maintained the imperial traditions and responsibilities that had defined Byzantine leadership for centuries.

On July 13, 685, Constantine IV died in his birthplace of Constantinople at the age of thirty-three. His death resulted from dysentery, an illness that claimed many lives in the ancient and medieval world. Following Byzantine custom, he was laid to rest in the Church of the Holy Apostles, one of Constantinople’s most significant religious structures and a fitting final resting place for an emperor.

Constantine IV’s life, though relatively brief, encompassed his entire existence within Constantinople—from his birth to his death and burial in the great city. His years of imperial service left their mark on the Byzantine world during a significant chapter of its enduring legacy.