Kosmas (counter-emperor)

Kosmas ( Middle Greek Κοσμάς ; † April / May 727) was a Byzantine counter-emperor .

Kosmas was in the spring of 727 by troops of the Hellas theme in today's Thessaly against Leo III. proclaimed a basileus and also found supporters in the Cyclades . The fleet of the rebels under the command of the tower hierarchs Agallianos Kontoskeles was on April 18, 727 of kaiser loyal Marine units using the Greek fire defeated. Kosmas was captured a little later and beheaded along with another rebel leader named Stephanos .

However, it is unclear whether the uprising is related to an anti-iconoclastic reaction against Leo, as suggested by the iconodul (proponents of image worship) sources. In recent research, the effects of the iconoclasm in the time of Leo III. and his son Constantine V viewed in a much more differentiated manner. So it is uncertain that Leo initiated a widespread persecution of picture friends and this allegedly met with stiff resistance.

swell

Nikephoros , Historia Syntomos 60 (in the edition by Cyril Mango )
Theophanes AM 6218 (p. 405 in the edition by Carl de Boor )

literature

Ralph-Johannes Lilie , Claudia Ludwig, Thomas Pratsch, Ilse Rochow, Beate Zielke: Prosopography of the Middle Byzantine Period . 1st department: (641−867). Volume 2: Georgios (# 2183) - Leon (# 4270). Created after preliminary work by F. Winkelmann . Published by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. De Gruyter, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-11-016672-0 , p. 612 No. 4093.
Warren Treadgold : A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford University Press, Stanford CA 1997, ISBN 0-8047-2630-2 , p. 352.

Remarks

↑ Leslie Brubaker, John F. Haldon: Byzantium in the Iconoclast era is now fundamental . c. 680-850. A history. Cambridge et al. 2011.

↑ On source criticism and recent research cf. especially Leslie Brubaker, John F. Haldon: Byzantium in the Iconoclast era. c. 680-850. A history. Cambridge et al. 2011, here p. 79ff.

personal data
SURNAME	Cosmas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Κοσμάς (Middle Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Byzantine counter-emperor in Thessaly
DATE OF BIRTH	before 727
DATE OF DEATH	April 727 or May 727

[1] Leslie Brubaker, John F. Haldon: Byzantium in the Iconoclast era is now fundamental . c. 680-850. A history. Cambridge et al. 2011.

[2] On source criticism and recent research cf. especially Leslie Brubaker, John F. Haldon: Byzantium in the Iconoclast era. c. 680-850. A history. Cambridge et al. 2011, here p. 79ff.