Who was Emperor Leo III the Isaurian and what were his major achievements?

Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, also known as Leo III, was a Byzantine Emperor who reigned from 717 to 741 AD. He was born in Germanicia, a town in the Byzantine Empire (modern-day Maraş, Turkey), in 685 AD. Leo III was a successful military leader and is remembered for his military campaigns against the Arabs and his efforts to reform the administration of the Byzantine Empire.

Leo III is best known for his religious policies, particularly his opposition to the use of religious icons. He issued a series of edicts in the early 8th century that banned the use of religious images and ordered their removal from churches. This led to a period of iconoclasm, or icon-smashing, which lasted for over a century and caused significant controversy within the Byzantine Empire.

Despite this controversy, Leo III is credited with saving the Byzantine Empire from collapse. He successfully defended the empire against Arab invasions and established a new administrative system that helped to stabilize the economy and improve the efficiency of government.

Leo III's other major achievements include the creation of the Theme System, which was a system of military and civil administration that divided the Byzantine Empire into administrative units known as themes. This system helped to improve the defense of the empire and was an important factor in the Byzantine Empire's survival.