again both culturally and practically. Effectively stabilizing the line of succession from previous rulers threatening it. The day after Philippicus’ blinding, the conspirators then chose Artemios as Emperor. He chose Anastasius as his regnal name. Having ascended the throne, the same manner Philippicus did, it was also a distinct possibility he could have left it the same way. To remain on the throne, Anastasius needed stability within the military for both the purposes of preventing another coup and to ensure Imperial control over the military. He did this by blinding and exiling the officers directly responsible for conspiring against his predecessor. This was likely to discourage future rebellions . Rule Anastasius' reign was spent attempting to stabilize the Byzantine Empire. He endeavored to reverse the religious reforms his predecessor had put in place. Anastasius upheld the decisions of the Sixth Ecumenical Council and deposed the Monothelete Patriarch John VI of Constantinople, replacing him with the orthodox Patriarch Germanus in 715. This served several purposes, first being it quelled the unrest in the orthodoxy population of Constantinople. It also served as furthering Anastasius’ legitimacy as Emperor. Because his rule was the result of a rebellion, he needed as much proof of legitimacy as he could to keep imperial authority stable. And so, by re-elevating Orthodoxy, it put an end to the short-lived schism between the monarchy and the Catholic Church. This would continue a pattern of Byzantine Emperor’s attempting to reconcile with Rome. But as an Emperor who was the product of a coup, Anastasius had a need for symbols of legitimacy. And so, gaining the approval of Pope Constantine would have provided him with a symbol his predecessor did not have, making him more legitimate by comparison. Additionally, Anastasius took steps to correct the sorry state of the Byzantine Empire’s defenses and address the problem of the land that the Byzantine empire had lost. The advancing Umayyad Caliphate surrounded the Empire by land and sea (they penetrated as far as Galatia in 714), and Anastasius attempted to restore peace by diplomatic means. His emissaries having failed in Damascus, he undertook the restoration of Constantinople's walls, the construction of siege equipment, the stockpiling of food, and the rebuilding of the Byzantine fleet. The death of the Caliph al-Walid I in 715 gave Anastasius an opportunity to turn the tables on his rival. He dispatched an army under Leo the Isaurian, afterwards