Leo III appointed Anastasius patriarch of Constantinople in 730, based largely on his support for iconoclasm.
In 731[2] or 733[3] or by 740, Leo III the Isaurian attached Illyricum and Southern Italy (Sicily and Calabria) to Patriarch Anastasius of Constantinople, transferring the papal authority to the Eastern Church.
[4] In 741 Leo III died and was succeeded as Emperor by his son Constantine V, who almost immediately needed to depart the capital to defend the eastern frontier against the Umayyad Caliphate.
To gain support from those opposed to the iconoclastic policy, Artabasdos reversed it and declared himself the "Protector of the Holy Icons".
Patriarch Anastasius quickly switched sides and suddenly became an ardent defender of icons, which Artabasdos reinstalled in the churches.