Michael 5 was a leading iconoclast under the emperor Constantine V (Konstantinos 7), he took an active part in the Hippodrome in publicly depriving Georgios 129 of his monastic status; he is not named but his name is unmistakeably alluded to (εἷς δέ τις τῶν πονηρῶν ἀρχόντων ὁμοιότροπος τοῦ Σατανᾶ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα ἑκὼν ὑπερβήσομαι - δρακοντιαία γὰρ ἐπίκλησις τούτου): Vita Steph. Iun. 140. 20-22 (1137B-C). The date was after the Council of Hieria and before the exile of Stephen the Younger (Stephanos 2) to Prokonnesos, i.e. 754/762. His cruel persecution of the monks of the Pelekete monastery when he was governor of Asia before 764 was described by the monk Theosteriktos 2 to the iconophile monks imprisoned in the praitorion at Constantinople with Stephanos 2 (in 764) (τὴν τότε σκοτόμαιναν καὶ ἀγριότητα τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῆς Ἀσιάτιδος γαίης, ὅνπερ Λαχανοδράκοντα καλοῦσιν; also called ὁ δρακοντώνυμος ἀρχισατράπης: 161. 7-8, 14; 1165A); on orders from the emperor he was said to have seized the monks of Pelekete during the Easter festival (perhaps in 763, as it was apparently recent) and had some of them flogged, others burnt; some had their noses slit and their beards burnt, and a group of thirty eight were taken by him to Ephesos, imprisoned in a chamber and buried alive; he also razed to the ground the monastery of Pelekete: Vita Steph. Iun. 161.9-27 (1165A-B). If this event really took place before the death of Stephen (November 764), it is presumably different from the events described by Theophanes Confessor under the year 770, and Michael 5 was in consequence strategos of the Thrakesioi before 766/767 (see below). If the death of Stephen the Younger (Stephanos 2) took place in November 767 (one possible chronology), the destruction of Pelekete could have occurred at Easter 767 and the evidence of the Vita would then be consistent with that of Theophanes.

Michael 5 was a member of the Lachanodrakon family (unless it was his nickname; see Auzépy, n. 272); he was one of the strategoi appointed by the emperor Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) in 766/767 (indiction 5) because they were like him supporters of iconoclasm; Michael 5 became strategos of the Thrakesioi; the other strategoi were Michael 4 Melissenos and Manes 2: Theoph. AM 6258 (στρατηγοὺς ὁμοφρόνας αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς κακίας αὐτοῦ ἐπαξίους ἐργάτας ... καὶ Μιχαὴλ τὸν Λαχανοδράκοντα εἰς Θρακησίους). See also Michael 4. In 770 he assembled at Ephesos all the monks and nuns from the Thrakesioi theme and ordered them to choose whether to obey the emperor and marry or to suffer blinding and exile to Cyprus; many refused and suffered in consequence but many, says Theophanes, deserted and perished, claimed by the Serpent (ὁ Δράκων, i. e. the Devil, punning on the name Lachanodrakon): Theoph. AM 6262 (he is just called ὁ Λαχανοδράκων). In 772 he was still strategos of the Thrakesioi (ὁ τῶν Θρακησίων στρατηγὸς Μιχαὴλ ὁ Λαχανοδράκων); he sent two agents, his own notarios Leo 7 and the hegoumenos Leo 8, throughout the Thrakesioi theme to sell off all monasteries and convents, their holy vessels and books and animals, with everything contributing to their sustenance, and then forwarded the proceeds to the emperor; any books written by monks or by Fathers of the Church which he found he burned, as also any relics of saints which were in use as lucky charms, and he punished anyone caught wearing the latter; every monk in the Thrakesioi theme was beaten or tortured or blinded and many were exiled; his zeal allegedly pleased the emperor, who described Michael as a man after his own heart (ἄνδρα κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν μου); Michael 5's lead was followed by others: Theoph. AM 6263. In 778 Michael 5 was commander of the Thrakesioi in the combined armies which the emperor Leo IV (Leo 4) sent against Syria (χιλιάδες ρ', ὧν ἡγοῦντο Μιχαὴλ ὁ Λαχανοδράκων τῶν Θρακησίων); they laid siege to Germanikeia where, according to Theophanes, Michael 5 accepted a bribe from the Arab commander Isbaali (Abasbali 1) and left to plunder the countryside; he later returned to Germanikeia with a number of captured Jacobite heretics; the Roman armies then defeated an Arab army under Thoumamas 1; the Jacobites were eventually settled by the emperor in Thrace: Theoph. AM 6270, cf. Baladhuri, tr. Hitti, p. 295, p. 296 (Michael 5 set out from Darb al-Hadath and laid siege to Marash; perhaps in AH 161, Oct. 777/Sep. 778). His fellow-commanders in 778 were Artabasdos 3, Tatzates 1, Karisterotzes 1 and Gregorios 10. In 780 he defeated a force of Arabs and killed the brother of the commander Thoumamas 1: Theoph. AM 6272. In 781 Michael 5 and Tatzates 1 defeated the Arab general Kebir (`Abd al-Kabir, = Qebir 1) at the battle of Melon: Tabari (in Brooks, EHR XV(1900), p.737), and cf. Theoph. AM 6273 and Ioannes 14. In 782 he fought a battle with an Arab army led by Bourniche 1 (al-Barmaki) at a place called Darenos in Asia; his army was the Thrakesioi (σὺν τῷ θέματι τῶν Θρακησίων); half his troops, fifteen thousand, are said to have perished: Theoph. AM 6274. The battle was perhaps inconclusive, with both sides taking heavy losses; the site may have been Darioukome; see Treadgold, Revival, p. 68. In late 790, after the release from custody of the emperor Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) (in October), Michael Lachanodrakon was sent with Ioannes 16 by Constantine VI to obtain from the troops of the Armeniakoi an oath not to accept Eirene 1 as ruler; at the same time, apparently, they confirmed the troops' choice, Alexios 1, as the strategos of the Armeniakoi: Theoph. AM 6283. He was probably no longer strategos of the Thrakesioi in 790; the troops of all the themata expelled their current strategoi and acclaimed Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) as sole emperor, but Michael was probably not one of those expelled since he was evidently a close supporter of Constantine. In July 792 he was magistros; he was among those killed in the battle of Markellai on July 20 when the Bulgars under Kardamos 1 defeated and routed the emperor Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8): Theoph. AM 6284 (among the leaders killed was Μιχαὴλ μάγιστρον τὸν Λαχανοδράκοντα; the others named are Bardas 3, Niketas 10, Pankratios 1, Stephanos 10 and Theognostos 1).

He is probably to be identified with Michael patrikios, basilikos protospatharios and strategos of the Thrakesioi, owner of a seal dateable to the second half of the eighth century: DOSeals III 2.47 = Zacos and Veglery 2190. The name and titles read: Μιχαὴλ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων.

He may also be identical with Michael patrikios, basilikos protospatharios and magistros of the basilika offikia, owner of another seal dateable to the second half of the eighth century: Zacos and Veglery 3145 = Laurent, Corpus II, no. 1195. The name and titles read: Μιχαὴλ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ μαγίστρῳ τῶν βασιλικῶν ὀφφικίων.

Possibly identical with ...el, patrikios, protospatharios and strategos of the Thrakesioi, owner of a seal dateable to the eighth century: DOSeals III 2.45 = Zacos and Veglery 2189. The name and title read: ...ελ πατρικίῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Θρακησίων. The name of the owner is not certain; possibly Michael, but Manuel and Daniel are also possible.

He could be identical with Michael 48. See Rochow, Konstantin V, 226-27.

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