Byzantine emperor Leon III (717-741) is well known as the emperor who introduced the official policy of Iconoclasm, and who was successful in repulsing the Arab raids which had started since the first half of the seventh century. At the fact that he was a Strategos (Chief General) of the theme (Byzantine land army) of the Anatolikon before he became an emperor, modern scholars have often regarded him as a soldier emperor.
Once we examine his career in detail, however, we notice that his experience as a soldier or general is quite limited. Nevertheless, it can be pointed out that Leon III had a close relation with the fleet. For when he commanded the Byzantine army during the second Arab siege of Constantinople (717-718), he took a direct command over the fleet, not the land army. Therefore, in this paper, I will analyze the relation between Leon III and the Byzantine fleet.
The Byzantine fleet was strengthened in the middle of the seventh century in order to counter the Arab fleet, which became offensive in the Mediterranean Sea at that time. During the seventh century, there were two Byzantine fleets in the Mediterranean Sea: one was the Carabisianoi, which had a control of the eastern Mediterranean, and the other was the Sicilian fleet controlling the central Mediterranean.
During the reign of the Leon III, the Carabisianoi were divided. One reason for the division was that the Carabisianoi, as well as the theme of the Opsikion, raised a number of rebellions against the emperors. Although it had posed more serious threat to the Byzantine throne, the theme of Opsikion was not divided during the reign of the Leon III. So the question arises why Leon III divided only the Carabisianoi.
The reason can be traced in the situation of the war against the Arabs. In his time, the Arab army was raiding the Asia Minor almost every year. Under such a situation, it was impossible to divide the Opsikion. However, the action of the Arab fleet was stagnant in the eastern Mediterranean. This is why Leon III was able to divide the Carabisianoi.
In the central Mediterranean, the Sicilian fleet fought against the Arab fleet, which was based in North Africa (Ifriqiyah), which was conquered by the Arabs at the end of seventh century. The Arab fleet of Ifriqiyah barraged Sicily and Sardinia during the reign of Leon III, though this attack was far from successful and received a counterattack by the Byzantine fleet of Sicily, for the Sicilian fleet was strengthened especially in the 730s. Toward the end of his reign, the Sicilian fleet came to overwhelm the Arab fleet in the central Mediterranean.
In this way, the time of Leon III saw the Byzantine fleet gain a notable victory over the Arab fleet. Leon III himself had a great interest in the Byzantine fleet. It was one of the main policies of the Byzantine emperors in the seventh century to put more importance on the role of the fleet. Taking in consideration that he was the last emperor who took over that policy, we can call appropriately Leon III the last “soldier emperor of the sea.”

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