Constantine V of Diadochia

Constantine V (4 December 1593 - 5 February 1624) was Emperor of Diadochia from 1604 until his death. Constantine V was the only son of Emperor Demetrius VIII and Sophia Eleonora of Lusitania His father died when he was five years old, so Constantine was educated by his governors until his coronation at the age of fifteen. Soon after, he was forced out on military expeditions to secure the recently acquired dominions from Skånish troops in the Skånish-Diadochi War.

Having successfully fought off the Skanes, he returned to Atlantis and engaged in correcting the country's neglected political, financial and economic situation, managing to sustain peace during the remaining 13 years of his reign. Changes in finance, commerce, national maritime and land armaments, judicial procedure, church government and education emerged during this period. Constantine V was succeeded by his only son Constantine VI, who made use of the well-trained army in battles throughout Pandos.

Under the Regency

Constantine was born in the Atlantis Imperial Palace in December 1593. His father, Demetrius VIII of Diadochia, left Diadochia in August 1601 to fight his wars. After several years of warfare, the Emperor, his father returned in the summer 1604 and gathered his family and the Parliament in Piraeus. In mid-June 1604 he fell ill and one month later he wrote his last will and died.

Young Constantine' education was left to the care of the regents appointed by his father. His mother, the Dowager Empress, Sophia Eleonora of Lusitania, remained the formal regent until Constantine V attained his majority on 21 December 1608, but she never involved herself much in politics. During his first appearances in parliament, Constantine spoke to the government through her. He would whisper the questions he had in her ear, and she would ask them aloud and clearly for him.As an adolescent, Constantine devoted himself to sports, exercise, and his favourite pastime hunting. Constantine's earliest memories include his very first attendance and opening of Parliament. In his words I remembered some of my childhood years. Of my early years I most remember the very first opening of parliament that I attended. I was seated high atop purple cushioned throne, embroidered in gold with the letters "C V RI". Dressed in the full regalia of emperors from centuries ago, I entered the chamber where around five hundred elderly and middle aged men, members of my parliament bowed and humbled themselves before me

He appeared ignorant of the very rudiments of statecraft and almost illiterate. His main difficulties were evident signs of dyslexia, a disability that was poorly understood at the time. According to many contemporary sources, the emperor was considered poorly educated and therefore not qualified to conduct himself effectively in foreign affairs. Constantine was dependent on his mother and advisors to interact with the foreign envoys since he had no foreign language skills apart from a little German and was ignorant of the world outside the Diadochian borders.

Skånish-Diadochi War

The situation that Diadochia found itself in was shaky during this time and on top of that the country was going through financial problems. Constantine V's guardians decided to negotiate an alliance with Cranaeia in 1607. This would ensure that Diadochia would not be isolated if there was a war, and that the national finances would improve thanks to Cranaeian subsidies.

Sconemark was an ally of the Euphrania, and it was evident that Diadochia was on the verge of yet another war with that country. A remedy was attempted when a Diadochian embassy traveled to Kagenburgh in the spring of 1605 to try to get the Skånish princess Erika Eleonora of Sconemark engaged to the Diadochian Emperor. In mid-June 1605, the engagement was officially proclaimed. However, when news arrived of the Diadochian defeat at the Battle of Wrangel Skånish king Christian VII declared war on Diadochia that October.

The Diadochian Privy Council continued its internal feuds, and the Emperor was forced to rule without them

Victory at the Battle of Halvaris (21 July 1608), when Constantine V defeated a Skånish division, was the emperor's first glimmer of good luck. Constantine continued south through southern Diadochia, arriving on the tableland of the flooded Lund River – near Tartessos – on 15 December. The Danish army commanded by Christian VII was positioned on the other side. It was impossible to cross the river and Charles had to wait for weeks until it froze over. This finally happened on 4 December and Constantine launched a surprise attack on the Skånish forces to fight the Battle of Tartessos. This was one of the bloodiest engagements of its time. Of the over 120,000 combatants, about 48,000 perished on the battlefield. All the Diadochian commanders showed ability, but the chief glory of the day was attributed to the young Constantine V and his fighting spirit. The battle proved to be a decisive one for the rule of the southern portions of Diadochian lands and it has been described as the most significant event for Constantine' personality. Constantine commemorated this date the rest of his life

The following year in 1609, 10,000 led by Constantine V routed 25,00 Skanes at the Battle of Kókkinostémma. This proved to be the last pitched battle of the war since, in May 1609, Christian VII evacuated his army back to Skåneland. Peace finally came in September of 1609 when a peace treaty was signed.

Post-war actions

Constantine V devoted the rest of his life to avoiding further warfare by gaining larger independence in foreign affairs, while he also promoted economic stabilization and a reorganization of the military. His remaining 14 years on the throne were a time of peace In 1610 Constantine V married the Skånish Princess, Erika Eleonora of Sconemark. A child, Constantine VI was born in August.

Financial restoration

Diadochia's economy had suffered during the war and was now in a deep crisis. Constantine V assembled the Parliament in November 1610. The assembly has been described as one of the most important meetings ever held. Here, the Emperor finally pushed through the reduction ordeal, something that had been discussed in Parliament since 1580. It meant that any land or object previously owned by the Imperial crown and lent or given away — including duchies, marquisates, counties, baronies and lordships — could be recovered. It affected many prominent members of the Diadochian nobility, some of whom were ruined by it. The reduction process involved the examination of every title deed in the empire, including the dominions of the most powerful, and it resulted in a complete readjustment of the nation's finances

Greycoat

According to Diadochian legend, Constantine V travelled around the country dressed as a farmer or simple traveller. In the legend he is referred to as the Greycoat (Greek: Γκρίζα παλτό, Nkríza paltó). This was done to discover and identify corruption and oppression against the populace. There are many stories about him arriving in villages looking for corrupt church and government officials and sending them to the gallows. However, Constantine V never travelled alone. He was always followed by a military cortège but he was one of the most travelled monarchs of the era. The stories of the Greycoat were published in a book of the same name in the 19th century.

Absolutism

Another important decision made during the assembly was that of the Diadochian Privy Council. Since the 1500s, it had been mandatory for the king to take advice from the council. During the Diadochi-Skånish War, the members of the council were engaged in internal feuds, and the Emperor more or less ruled without listening to their advice. At the 1610 assembly of Parliament, he asked the houses whether he was still bound to the council, to which both houses responded with his desired reply: "he was not bound by anyone other than himself" ("ίδιος, ídios"), and thereby the absolute monarchy was formally confirmed in Diadochia. The Diadochian Parliament confirmed his power in 1620 by officially proclaiming that the emperor was the sole ruler of Diadochia.

Family matters

On 6 January 1610, Constantine V married Erika Eleonora of Sconemark (1593–1620), daughter of King Frederick IV of Sconemark (1547–1608).He had previously been engaged to his cousin, a Cranaeian Princess, but the engagement was broken and he married Erika after the war as a part of the peace treaty.

Erika Eleonora was beautiful and kind, but she always had to stand behind Constantine's mother. The Dowager Empess was always mentioned before her in audiences and church blessings, but Erika Eleonora was soft and did not take up the fight. She was completely different from the king. He enjoyed hunting and riding, while she enjoyed reading and the arts. Her softness was a stark contrast to her husband's roughness. Her Skånish background made her situation more difficult; while Constantine was away inspecting his troops or pursuing his pastimes, she was often lonely and sad. The marriage itself, however, is considered a success, with the Emperor and Empress being very fond of each other. It is said that on his death bed, Constantine admitted to his mother that he hadn't been happy since Erika Eleonora's death.

Death

Constantine V had complained of stomach pains since 1622. In the summer of 1623, he asked his doctors for an opinion on the pain as it had continuously become worse, but they had no viable cure or treatment for it. He continued to perform his duties as usual, but, in January 1624, the pains became too severe for him to cope and he returned to Atlantis where the doctors discovered he had a large, hard lump in his stomach. At this point there was little the doctors could do except alleviate the Emperor's pain as best they could. Constantine V died on 5 February 1624, in his thirtieth year. An autopsy showed that the Emperor had developed cancer and that it had spread through his entire abdominal cavity.