Editing Constantine V (section)

== Early life ==
[[File:Leo III with Constantine V (reverse).png|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Constantine V as co-emperor, marked: {{Smallcaps|{{Abbreviation|dn|DOMINUS NOSTER}} constantinus}}.]]
[[File:101 - Constantine V (Mutinensis - color).png|thumb|upright=0.8|Constantine V in the 15th-century ''[[Mutinensis gr. 122]]'']]
Constantine was born in [[Constantinople]], the son and successor of Emperor [[Leo III the Isaurian|Leo III]] and his wife [[Maria (wife of Leo III)|Maria]]. In the [[Easter]] of 720, at two years of age, he was associated with his father on the throne, and [[coronation of the Byzantine emperor|crowned co-emperor]] by Patriarch [[Germanus I of Constantinople|Germanus I]].<ref name=PBE /> In Byzantine political theory more than one emperor could share the throne; however, although all were accorded the same ceremonial status, only one emperor wielded ultimate power. As the position of emperor was in theory, and sometimes in practise, elective rather than strictly hereditary, a ruling emperor would often associate a son or other chosen successor with himself as a co-emperor to ensure the eventual succession.<ref>Nicol, p. 72</ref> To celebrate the coronation of his son, Leo III introduced a new silver coin, the ''[[miliaresion]]''; worth one-twelfth of a gold ''[[Solidus (coin)|nomisma]]'', it soon became an integral part of the Byzantine economy. In 726, Constantine's father issued the ''[[Ecloga]]''; a revised [[legal code]], it was attributed to both father and son jointly. Constantine married [[Tzitzak]], daughter of the [[Khazars|Khazar]] khagan [[Bihar (Khazar)|Bihar]], an important Byzantine ally. His new bride was baptized Irene (''Eirēnē'', "peace") in 732. On his father's death, Constantine succeeded as sole emperor on 18 June 741.<ref>Ostrogorsky, p. 165</ref><ref>Finlay, p. 43</ref><ref>Treadgold (1997), p. 349</ref><ref>Brubaker and Haldon, p. 76</ref>

Historical accounts of Constantine make reference to a chronic medical condition, possibly [[epilepsy]] or [[leprosy]]; early in his reign this may have been employed by those rebelling against him to question his fitness to be emperor.<ref>Brubaker and Haldon, p. 157</ref>