Semitic Syrian imperial dynasty of Byzantium

[Benacer]

The Levant was largely hellenized since ancient times. There's a reason the New Testament was written in Koine Greek rather than Aramaic or Hebrew, as it largely replaced Aramaic as the lingua franca. Obviously actual Greeks never became predominant there outside of some of the Greek-founded cities, but their culture became the ruling one. Also the forced resettlement of population groups was fairly common in the ancient Middle-East.

Either way, the Roman Empire also had some emperors who weren't of pure Latin ancestry, so it's really no surprise it also happened to their eastern iteration. Also the Byzantine Greeks saw themselves more of a continuation of Rome rather than Ancient Greece, I don't think they actually cared much about this sort of thing.

[Profileid]

doesnt matter . give us instanbul back

"us"

[brennus dux gallorum]

Leo III, the Isaurian (the Syrian) Byzantine Emperor and his dynasty ruled the Byzantine Empire for nearly a century between 717 until 795 when Empress Euphrosyne was deposed and sent to the convent.

Leo III was a devout Chalcedonian Christian. His contribution to Christendom is often ignored or goes unnoticed because of his Iconoclast, counter icon-veneration controversy. He was instrumental in stopping the advance of the Arabs in the East.

Leo III, so-called founder of the "Isaurian" dynasty, was not of Asia Minor but was born ca. 680 in Germanicia a.k.a. Marash near Aleppo in the northern corner of the eastern Mediterranean. His original name may have been Konon. According to the chronicles of Theophanes the Confessor, his family was forcefully resettled by Justinian II (685-695) in Mesembria, an ancient Greek town on the coast of Thrace near Bulgaria where he was raised.

Forceful Dispersion and Resettlement of Eastern Christians

Forceful resettlement of many Christians of the East was a result of a deal struck between the Byzantines and the Arabs. That happened because large numbers of the Christian zealots were removed and dispersed around the Byzantine Empire, away from the boarders between the Byzantine Empire and the Arabs. These Christians were originally supported by the Byzantines themselves but got scapegoated for politics. That was accomplished through an hefty payoff-agreement between the Emperor and the Umayyad Caliph. These Christians were what is known as the Jarjamites, the Maronites/Maradaites, Jacobites and others. They were a thorn in the side of the invading Arabs because they refused to convert to Islam and did not accept the Arab cause célèbre.

Read more: Leo III, Byzantine Emperor who was one of us, and so was his dynasty of emperors http://phoenicia.org/leo.html#ixzz4fuF2ga3i

And for what reason did you open this thread in the Greek section?