The islands of the Aegean Sea are known for their beauty. The sparkling clear blue waters mirroring the usually clear skies above all beckon the traveler and the tourist. In 766 AD, all that beautiful area of islands and sea and sun was under the control of the Byzantine Empire. And the emperor that ruled in the capital city of Constantinople at that time was named Constantine V.
Now, Constantine V ruled the empire for a little over 30 years. He took advantage of a time in history when the encroaching Muslim forces were in disarray, and he secured and expanded the borders of his kingdom. He is remembered as an able military leader and decent administrator as those things go.
What he’s not remembered for is his generosity.
And that’s interesting considering how he treated several of his high-ranking political appointees and governors. You see, Constantine V personally saw to it that 17 of his underlings were taken care of on an island in the Aegean. There, they had constant care and watching. Their food was provided for them. They didn’t have to worry about clothing or the basic necessities of life.
And, what’s more, all 17 of them were blind.
Yes, the Emperor Constantine made sure that these incapacitated former administrators and advisors were seen to. He even dispatched servants once a year with special gifts from him to the 17 men. It was his way of subtly reminding them who was taking care of them and why they were in the situation they were in in the first place.
Now, you’d think these men would be grateful, right? They have a great place to live, all their needs were met, and they received special attention via the emperor’s gifts once per year. In their conditions, you’d expect them to show how much they appreciated the situation their ruler had afforded them.
Yet, the 17 men deeply resented him. Their hatred for him burned with the heat of 1000 suns. They spat when they heard his name, and they loathed the moment that the servants arrived from Constantine V bearing his yearly gifts.
Why? What had he done to them that would cause them to resent his generosity so?
Well, you see, it was Constantine V who had blinded them in the first place and exiled them there. These 17–and two others who were executed outright–had sought to overthrow the emperor and install a different ruler over the Byzantine Empire. And Constantine had defeated the rebellion.
And the yearly gifts that he sent them?
100 lashes, each.