Soldiers pleaded with body of Constantine V

A group of soldiers entered the Church of the Holy Apostles, where the body of Constantine V, a notable iconoclast emperor, was interred. This act was driven by their desire to restore the Empire, reflecting a significant shift in the political and religious landscape of the Byzantine Empire. The soldiers' plea to Constantine V symbolized a yearning for a return to the policies he had implemented, particularly regarding the veneration of icons, which had been a contentious issue within the Empire. Their actions marked the onset of the second Byzantine Iconoclasm, a period characterized by renewed conflict over the use of religious images in worship. This movement was not merely a theological dispute but also intertwined with the political ambitions of various factions within the Empire, as the soldiers sought to align themselves with the legacy of a ruler who had previously enforced iconoclastic policies. The resurgence of iconoclasm during this period would lead to further divisions within the Church and the state, impacting the socio-political dynamics of the Byzantine Empire.