BİZANS İMPARATORU III. LEO’NUN KÖKENİ MESELESİ
THE QUESTION OF THE ORIGIN OF THE BYZANTINE EMPEROR LEO III

Summary/Abstract: The character of Byzantine emperors was shaped by their upbringing in different regions of the Mediterranean geography. In addition, the ethnic and geographical origins of the emperors influenced the policies they implemented while ruling their realm. While we know a great deal about the origins of some emperors, this is only sometimes the case for all of them, as the sources obfuscate our understanding. Accordingly, the origins of Leo III’s (c. 717-741) as an “Isaurian” or “Syrian” have been debated for a long time. In this article, my aim is as follows: First, I would like to revisit Greek and Arabic sources identifying Leo III as Isaurian or Syrian. Secondly, I would like to dig deeper into the impact of Leo III’s origins on the rise of the Iconoclastic movement that profoundly changed the character and the nature of the Byzantine Empire.

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