Konstantinos 140

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitM VIII
Dates767 (taq) / 769 (tpq)
PmbZ No.1172
Variant NamesConstantinus;
anti-pope Constantine
ReligionChristian
LocationsSt Peter (Church of, Rome);
Rome (officeplace);
Lateran Palace (Rome);
Nepet (Tuscia) (residence);
Rome (residence);
Nepet (Tuscia)
TitlesArchbishop, Rome (office);
Bishop, Rome (office);
Patriarch, Rome (office);
Pope, Rome (office)
Textual SourcesLiber Pontificalis, ed. L. Duchesne, Le liber pontificalis. Texte, introduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Paris, 1886-92); re-issued with 3rd vol. by C. Vogel, (Paris, 1955-57) (chronicle)

Konstantinos 140 was the brother of Toto 1, Passibos 1 and Paschalis 2; in 767, when pope Paul I (Paulos 49) lay on his deathbed, Toto 1 gathered an armed force at his house ("domus") in Rome and then had Konstantinos 140 proclaimed the next pope, although Konstantinos 140 was a layman; Konstantinos 140 was then escorted to the vicedominium in the Lateran palace, where they tried to force bishop Georgios 131 of Praeneste to ordain him a cleric: Lib. Pont. 96. 3. Eventually Georgios 131 gave way ("ordinationem illi clericatus tribuit") and Konstantinos 140 then seized the Lateran palace; on another day he was consecrated subdeacon and then deacon by Georgios 131, in the chapel of St Laurence in the Lateran, and made the populace take an oath to him; then on the following Sunday, in the basilica of St Peter, escorted by armed men, he was consecrated bishop of Rome by Georgios 131 and two other bishops, Eustratios 11 of Albanum and Citonatus 2 of Portus; he continued to occupy the see of Rome for one year and one month: Lib. Pont. 96. 4.

After great persistance on their part, he gave permission to Christophoros 26 and Sergios 53 to leave the papal service and become monks; instead they went to the Lombard king to ask for help against Konstantinos 140: Lib. Pont. 96. 5. The date was 768. When they heard of the death of Toto 1, Konstantinos 140, with Passibos 1 and Theodoros 172, sought refuge in the chapel of St Caesarius in the vestiarium of the church of St Venantius, but after a few hours were found by the military authorities ("huius Romanae urbis militiae iudices"), dragged out and put in prison: Lib. Pont. 96. 9. After the election of pope Stephen IV (III) (Stephanos 84) he was taken to the monastery of Cellae Novae, sitting on a horse in a woman's saddle and with a heavy weight fastened to his feet: Lib. Pont. 96. 12. On 6 August 768 he was taken before an assembly of bishops and priests in the basilica of the Saviour and deposed; his stole and papal slippers were removed by the subdeacon Maurianos 11: Lib. Pont. 96. 13. He was detained in the monastery of Cellae Novae; a few days later he was forcibly dragged from there by a mob of persons from Tuscia and Campania, at dawn; his eyes were put out and he was left blind and lying in the roadway: Lib. Pont. 96. 14.

A Council of bishops was called by Stephanos 84 to discuss his case: Lib. Pont. 96. 16. The Council met at Rome in April 769: Lib. Pont. 96. 17. Brought before it, in the Church of the Saviour near the Lateran palace, and asked why though only a layman he had occupied the see, he answered that he had been compelled to do so by the people and by superior force, on account of the burdens and grievances caused by Paulos 49; he then fell on his knees and begged for pardon; on the following day he was brought back and when questioned about the novelty of his action claimed that there were precedents and cited the cases of Sergius of Ravenna (Sergios 54) and Stephanus of Naples (Stephanos 85) who became bishops when laymen; he was then assaulted by the assembled clergy and driven out from the church: Lib. Pont. 96. 18-19. The records of his acts were then destroyed: Lib. Pont. 96. 20. One of his supporters was Gracilis 1 (tribunus): Lib. Pont. 96. 14.

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