Roman emperor Constantine IV divorces his wife…
796 CE
Roman emperor Constantine IV divorces his wife Maria of Amnia, who has failed to provide him with a male heir, and marries his mistress Theodote, an unpopular and canonically illegal act that sparks off the so-called "Moechian Controversy".
Although the Patriarch Tarasios does not publicly speak against it, he also refuses to officiate the marriage.
Popular disapproval is expressed by Theodote's uncle, Plato of Sakkoudion, who even breaks communion with Tarasios for his passive stance.
Plato's intransigence leads to his own imprisonment, while his monastic supporters are persecuted and exiled to Thessalonica.
The "Moechian Controversy" costs Constantine what popularity he has left, especially in the church establishment, which Irene, intriguing skillfully with the bishops and courtiers, takes care to vocally support against her own son.