Konstantinos 136

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitE VIII
Dates708 (taq) / 715 (ob.)
PmbZ No.1170
Variant NamesConstantinus;
pope Constantine
ReligionChristian;
Anti-monothelete
EthnicitySyrian
LocationsRome (burialplace);
Rome;
Rome (officeplace);
Rome (residence);
Rome;
Portus (Italy);
Naples (Campania);
Sicily;
Regium (Bruttium);
Croton (Bruttium);
Kallipolis (Thrace);
Hydruntum (Calabria);
Keos;
Hebdomon;
Constantinople;
Nikomedeia (Bithynia);
Gaieta
OccupationBishop
TitlesArchbishop, Rome (office);
Bishop, Rome (office);
Patriarch, Rome (office);
Pope, Rome (office)
Textual SourcesLiber Pontificalis, ed. L. Duchesne, Le liber pontificalis. Texte, introduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Paris, 1886-92); re-issued with 3rd vol. by C. Vogel, (Paris, 1955-57) (chronicle);
Paulus Diaconus, Historia Gentis Langobardorum, ed. L. Bethmann and G. Waitz, MGH, Scr. Rer. Lang., pp. 12-187; also in MGH, Scr. Rer. Ger. 48, pp. 49-242 (history)

Konstantinos 136 was the bishop of Rome from 708 to 715. A native of Syria, he was the son of Ioannes 224: Lib. Pont. 90. 1 ("natione Syrus, ex patre Iohanne"). He became bishop of Rome in succession to Sisinnius (Sisinnios 35; also a native of Syria and the son of a man called Ioannes; could they have been brothers?) and occupied the see for seven years and fifteen days: Lib. Pont. 90. 1. He ordained Felix 5 as archbishop of Ravenna and accepted the customary declarations from him although they were irregular: Lib. Pont. 90. 2. Later he was summoned by the emperor Justinian II (Ioustinianos 1) to Constantinople; he arranged to travel by sea and with a large retinue he set out from Portus on 5 October 710 ("die V mens. octob., indictione VIIII"); his retinue of bishops and many other clergy consisted of Niketas 64, Georgios 123, Michael 53, Paulos 47, Georgios 124, Gregorios 72, Georgios 125, Ioannes 229, Kosmas 26, Sisinnios 36, Sergios 46, Dorotheos 5, Ioulianos 7 "et de reliquis gradibus ecclesiae clerici pauci": Lib. Pont. 90. 3. He went first to Naples, where he met Ioannes 230, then to Sicily, where he was welcomed by Theodoros 168, and so via Regium, Croton and Callipolis to Hydruntum, where he spent the winter; at Hydruntum he received an imperial letter ordering that all public authorities should accord him a welcome as if he were the emperor himself; from there he sailed past Greece to the island of Caea (probably Keos) where he was welcomed by Theophilos 21, and then to Constantinople; at the seventh milestone from the city he was met by a reception consisting of the emperor's son Tiberius (Tiberios 4), with the patricii and the senate, and the patriarch of Constantinople Cyrus (Kyros 1), with the clergy and a multitude of the populace, and heentered the city in state; wearing the camelaucus, which he normally wore in Rome, he went via the imperial palace to the House of Placidia: Lib. Pont. 90. 4-5. He received a letter from Ioustinianos 1, who was in Nikaia, calling him to a meeting at Nikomedeia; when they met the emperor prostrated himself before the pope before embracing him; on Sunday Konstantinos 136 celebrated mass and gave communion to the emperor, who asked for his prayers, renewed the privileges of the Church and gave the pope permission to return home: Lib. Pont. 90. 6. After leaving Nikomedeia, Konstantinos 136 suffered from a succession of illnesses, but recovered and eventually arrived safely at the harbour of Gaieta; he was greeted there by the clergy and a large crowd from Rome, and re-entered the city on 24 October 711 ("XXIIII die mens. octob., indictione X"): Lib. Pont. 90. 7. Having been ordered by Ioustinianos 1 to come to Constantinople, he was received with great honour and had the church's privileges renewed: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 31.

After the death of Ioustinianos 1, he rejected the declaration of faith from the new emperor Philippicus (Philippikos 1) because it was heretical: Lib. Pont. 90. 8, cf. Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 34 (supported by a Council held at Rome, he rejected a letter from Philippikos 1 and had images of the six ecumenical councils painted on the portico of St Peter's, because the emperor had had similar paintings removed in Constantinople). He intervened to end fighting in Rome between partisans of the newly appointed dux of Rome, Petros 67, and his opponents (see Christophoros 23): Lib. Pont. 90. 10 (probably in 713, since Philippikos 1 died shortly afterwards). He accepted the declaration of faith from the new emperor, Anastasius II (Anastasios 6), brought by Scholasticius (Scholastikios 1): Lib. Pont. 90. 11, Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 34. Konstantinos 136 was buried in St Peter's on 9 April 715, in the reign of Anastasios 6 ("V id. April. ind. XIII, Anastasio Aug."; another manuscript gives the date as January 8 - "VI id. Ianuar."): Lib. Pont. 90. 11, apparatus criticus to line 3. Described as a man of very gentle character ("vir mitissimus valde"): Lib. Pont. 90. 1. He made a golden paten weighing twelve pounds: Lib. Pont. 90. 8. The indiction dates in the Life of Konstantinos all seem to be one higher than the correct ones!

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