Editing Constans II (section)

{{Short description|Roman emperor from 641 to 668}}
{{for|the Western Roman usurper|Constans II (son of Constantine III)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Constans II
| title        = [[List of Roman emperors|Emperor of the Romans]]
| image        = Solidus Constans II (obverse).jpg
| image_size   = 
| alt          = 
| caption      = A ''[[solidus (coin)|solidus]]'' of Constans II {{circa|651–3}} (aged 21–3), wearing a diadem and holding the [[globus cruciger]]. The inscription reads {{Smallcaps|{{Abbreviation|dn|DOMINUS NOSTER}} constantinus {{Abbreviation|pp|PERPETUUS}} {{Abbreviation|av|AUGUSTUS}}}}.
| succession   = [[Roman Emperor]]
| moretext     = 
| reign        = November 641 – 15 July 668
| coronation   = September 641
| cor-type     = [[Coronation of the Byzantine emperor|Coronation]]
| predecessor  = [[Heraclonas]]
| successor    = [[Constantine IV]]
| regent       = [[David Tiberius]] (641)<br/>[[Heraclius (son of Constans II)|Heraclius]] (659–681)<br/>[[Tiberius (son of Constans II)|Tiberius]] (659–681)<br/>[[Constantine IV]] (654–668)
| reg-type     = Co-emperors
| birth_date   = 7 November 630
| birth_name   = Heraclius
| regnal name  = {{langx|la|[[Imperator]] [[Caesar (title)|Caesar]] [[Flavia (gens)|Flavius]] Constantinus [[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]}}<br/>{{langx|el|[[Autokrator|Αὐτοκράτωρ]] καῖσαρ Φλάβιος Κωνσταντῖνος αὐγουστος}}{{efn|Recorded under the [[Armenian language|Armenian]] form and word order as ''Ogostos Kostandin'' in [[Movses Kaghankatvatsi]] II.20, where an Armenian translation of a letter from this emperor appears. The words {{Smallcaps|Constantinus Avg}} were also used on his solidi.}}
| birth_place  = [[Constantinople]]
| death_date   = 15 July 668 (aged 37)
| death_place  = [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], [[Sicily]]
| spouse       = [[Fausta (wife of Constans II)|Fausta]]
| issue        = {{unbulleted list|[[Constantine IV]]|[[Heraclius (son of Constans II)|Heraclius]]|[[Tiberius (son of Constans II)|Tiberius]]}}
| issue-link   = #Family
| dynasty      = [[Heraclian dynasty|Heraclian]]
| father       = [[Constantine III (Byzantine emperor)|Constantine III]]
| mother       = [[Gregoria]]
| religion     = [[Nicene Christianity]]{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}
}}
'''Constans II'''{{efn|The Byzantines themselves did not use regnal numbers, which are instead applied to the emperors by modern historians.{{Sfn|Foss|2005|pp=93–94}} Constans II is most commonly enumerated after [[Constans I]] ({{reign}} 337–340), but has also sometimes been enumerated as '''Constans III''', also counting the co-emperor [[Constans II (son of Constantine III)|Constans]] ({{reign}} 409–411).{{Sfn|Biermann|2009|p=537}}{{Sfn|Moosa|2008}}{{Sfn|Widdowson|2009}} "Constans" is a nickname given to the Emperor, who had been baptized '''Heraclius'''  (''Herakleios'') ({{langx|el|Ἡράκλειος|Hērákleios}}) and reigned officially as "Constantine" ({{langx|el|Κωνσταντῖνος|Kōnstantīnos|Constantinus}}). The nickname established itself in Byzantine texts and has become standard in modern historiography. It was apparently well known during his lifetime, as [[Constantine IV]] sometimes called himself "Constantinos Constantos", i.e. "Constantine, son of Constans".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Laurent|first=V. |year=1939 |title=Notes de titulature byzantine |journal=Échos d'Orient |volume=38 |issue=195–196 |pages=355–370 |doi=10.3406/rebyz.1939.2941 |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/rebyz_1146-9447_1939_num_38_195_2941}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1 = [[ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne ]] |year = 1981 |title = Revue roumaine d'histoire: Volume 20 |publisher = Editions de l'Académie de la République socialiste de Roumanie |page = 626 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2M9BAAAAYAAJ}}</ref> The emperor has also rarely been designated '''Constantine III''', a name typically reserved for his father [[Heraclius Constantine]].{{Sfn|Foss|2005|pp=93–94}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Warwick |first=Wroth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qEoLAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA184 |title=Catalogue of the Imperial Byzantine Coins in the British Museum |date=1908 |publisher=Longman |isbn=978-5-87507-093-8 |pages=v, 184, 255}}</ref>}} ({{langx|el|Κώνστας|Kōnstas}}; 7 November 630 – 15 July 668), also called "'''the Bearded'''" ({{langx|el|ὁ Πωγωνᾶτος|ho Pōgōnãtos}}),{{efn|Some sources call him "[[Constantine the Bearded]]". The nickname was previously attributed to his son [[Constantine IV]], who was known by his contemporaries as "Constantine the Younger".<ref>Grumel, Venance (1996). "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/44169223 Quel est l'empereur Constantin le nouveau commémoré dans le Synaxaire au 3 septembre?]." ''Analecta Bollandiana'' '''84''': 254–260.</ref>}} was the [[Byzantine emperor]] from 641 to 668. Constans was the last attested emperor to serve as [[Roman consul|consul]], in 642,<ref>Shahi̇d, I. (1972). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1291324 The Iranian Factor in Byzantium during the Reign of Heraclius]. ''[[Dumbarton Oaks Papers]]'' '''26''': 293–320.</ref><ref>Cameron, A., & Schauer, D. (1982). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/299119 The Last Consul: Basilius and His Diptych]. ''The Journal of Roman Studies'' '''72''': 126–145.</ref>{{Efn|His inauguration as consul is sometimes dated to 632, but this is likely a mistake, as the consular inauguration was usually celebrated on January of the first regnal year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hendy |first=Michael F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GcLLCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA193 |title=Studies in the Byzantine Monetary Economy |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=9781316582275 |pages=193}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Salzman |first=Michele R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YGhZEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA310 |title=The Falls of Rome |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2021 |isbn=9781107111424 |pages=310}}</ref>}} although the office continued to exist until the reign of [[Leo VI the Wise]] (r. 886–912).<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Riedel|first=Meredith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4jJlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA100|title=Leo VI and the Transformation of Byzantine Christian Identity|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2018|isbn=9781107053076|pages=100}}</ref> His religious policy saw him steering a middle line in disputes between the Orthodox and [[Monothelitism|Monothelites]] by refusing to persecute either and prohibited discussion of the natures of [[Jesus Christ]] under the [[Type of Constans]] in 648. His reign coincided with Arab invasions under [[Umar]], [[Uthman]], and [[Mu'awiya I]] in the late 640s to 660s. Constans was the first emperor to visit Rome since the fall of the [[Western Roman Empire]] in 476, and the last one to visit Rome while the Empire still held it.