Anniversaries
Assassins knife Leo V to death during morning prayers
I
t was dawn on 25 December 820 when the I
Byzantine emperor Leo V made his way into the imperial palace church for morning prayers. An experienced former general who had ruled in Constantinople for the last seven years, Leo prided himself on his singing voice, CPF CV VJG TUV J[OPoU TGHTCKP s p6JG[ RQWTGF contempt on the yearning of the king of all kings” – he raised his voice with gusto.
Unfortunately, Leo did not realise that this was the signal for a group of plotters, allied with his imprisoned rival Michael the Armorian, to make their move. Drawing their knives, the conspirators rushed towards the emperor – but in the gloom, and confused by the worshippers’ heavy cloaks and felt hats, they had mistaken their man, and they fell upon one of Leo’s QʛEKCNU KPUVGCF
Realising what was going on, Emperor Leo seized a large golden cross to defend himself, and battle was joined in earnest. “He was able to resist for some time by parrying the sword-thrusts with the divine cross,” wrote the historian John Skylitzes, “but then he was set upon from all sides, like a wild beast. He was CNTGCF[ DGIKPPKPI VQ ʚCI HTQO JKU YQWPFU when, at the end, he saw a gigantic person about to deal him a blow.”
At that, Leo began to mutter a prayer, but the blow fell anyway, severing his arm and smashing the cross in two. Then, wrote 5M[NKV\GU pUQOGQPG CNUQ EWV Qʘ JKU JGCF which was already damaged by wounds and hanging down”. And that was that.