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Keberhasilan Arab membuka jalan untuk serangan kedua ke [[Konstantinopel]], suatu usaha yang sudah dimulai semenjak Khalifah [[al-Walid bin Abdul-Malik|al-Walid I]] (b. 705–715). Setelah kematiannya, saudara dan penerusnya [[Sulaiman bin Abdul-Malik|Sulaiman]] (b. 715–717) mengambil proyek tersebut dengan semangat yang meningkat, diduga karena adanya sabda Nabi bahwa Khalifah yang memiliki nama [[Nabi Islam|Nabi]] akan menaklukkan [[Konstantinopel]]; Sulaiman adalah satu-satunya anggota Wangsa Umayyah yang membawa nama Nabi, yaitu nabi [[Sulaiman]]. Menurut sumber-sumber ber[[bahasa Suryani]], Khalifah baru itu bersumpah "untuk tidak akan berhenti berjuang melawan Konstantinopel sebelum mencapai titik darah penghabisan bangsa Arab atau sebelum merebut kota itu."<ref>{{harvnb|Brooks|1899|pp=20–21}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|El-Cheikh|2004|p=65}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Guilland|1959|p=110}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Lilie|1976|p=122}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|1997|p=344}}.</ref> Pasukan Umayyah mulai berkumpul di dataran [[Dabiq]] sebelah utara [[Aleppo]], di bawah pengawasan langsung [[Khalifah]]. Karena Sulaiman sedang sakit, komando dipercayakan kepada saudaranya [[Maslamah bin Abdul-Malik]].<ref>{{harvnb|Guilland|1959|pp=110–111}}.</ref> Operasi terhadap Konstantinopel terjadi pada saat negara [[Umayyah]] sedang mengalami periode ekspansi berkelanjutan ke timur dan barat. Pasukan Muslim bergerak maju ke [[Transoxiana]], [[Anak benua India|India]] dan [[Kerajaan Visigoth]] di [[Hispania]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hawting|2000|p=73}}.</ref>
<!--Persiapan Arab preparations, especiallykhususnya thepembanguan constructionarmada of a large fleetbesar, didsebenarnya nottelah godiketahui unnoticedoleh byBizantium theyang worriedmerasa Byzantinescemas. EmperorKaisar [[Anastasios II]] (r.berkuasa 713–715) sentmengirim anutusan embassyke toDamaskus Damascusdi under thebawah [[patrikios|patrician]] anddan [[EparchEparkhos ofKonstantinopel|prefek Constantinople|urban prefect]], Daniel ofdari [[Sinop, TurkeyTurki|Sinop]]e, ostensiblyberpura-pura inmeminta order to plea for peaceperdamaian, butnamun inpada realitykenyataanya tomemata-matai spypasukan on the ArabsArab. Anastasios, inkemudian turn,memulai beganpersiapan tountuk preparepengepungan foryang thetak inevitable siegeterhindarkan: the [[WallsTembok of ConstantinopleKonstantinopel|fortificationsperbentengan]] ofKonstantinopel Constantinoplediperbaiki weredan repaireddilengkapi anddengan equippedbanyak with ample artilleryartileri, while foodsedangkan storespersediaan weremakanan broughtdimasukkan intoke thedalam citykota anddan thosependuduk inhabitantsyang whotidak couldmampu notmenimbun stockpilebahan foodmakanan tountuk lastcadangan forselaam threetiga yearstahun evacuateddievakuasi.<ref>{{harvnb|Mango|Scott|1997|p=534}}; </ref><ref>{{harvnb|Lilie|1976|pp=122–123}}; </ref><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|1997|pp=343–344}}.</ref> Anastasios strengthenedmemperkuat hisangkatan navylautnya anddan inpada earlyawal 715 dispatchedmengerahkannya itmelawan against thearmada Arab fleet that had come to theyang shoresmendatangi ofpesisir [[LyciaLykia]] atdi [[Finike|PhoenixPhoinix]]—it—ada iskemungkinan alsobahwa likelyada thatkebingungan thisantara istempat ayang confusiondimaksud withdengan [[Fenaket|PhoenixPhoinix]] acrossdi seberang [[Rhodes]],<ref>{{harvnb|Mango|Scott|1997|p=537 (Note #5)}}.</ref> anddan perhapsbahkan evenmungkin withdengan [[PhoeniciaFenisia]] (modern [[Lebanon]] modern), famedyang terkenal forakan itshutan [[Cedrus libani|cedar]] forestsnya<ref>{{harvnb|Lilie|1976|p=123 (Note #62)}}.</ref>—to—untuk collectmengumpulkan timberkayu foruntuk theirmembuat shipskapal.<!-- At Rhodes, however, the Byzantine fleet, encouraged by the soldiers of the [[Opsician Theme]], rebelled, killed their commander John the Deacon and sailed north to [[Adramyttium]]. There, they raised a rather reluctant former tax collector Emperor [[Theodosios III]].<ref>{{harvnb|Haldon|1990|p=80}}; {{harvnb|Mango|Scott|1997|pp=535–536}}; {{harvnb|Lilie|1976|pp=123–124}}; {{harvnb|Treadgold|1997|p=344}}.</ref> Anastasios crossed into [[Bithynia]] in the Opsician Theme to confront the rebellion, but the rebel fleet sailed on to [[Chrysopolis]]. From there, it launched attacks against Constantinople, until, in late summer, sympathizers within the capital opened its gates to them. Anastasios held out at [[Nicaea (city)|Nicaea]] for several months, finally agreeing to resign and retire as a monk.<ref>{{harvnb|Haldon|1990|pp=80, 82}}; {{harvnb|Mango|Scott|1997|p=536}}; {{harvnb|Treadgold|1997|pp=344–345}}.</ref> The accession of Theodosios, who by all accounts was both unwilling and incapable, as a puppet emperor of the Opsicians provoked the reaction of the other themes, especially the [[Anatolics]] and the [[Armeniacs]] under their respective ''[[strategos|strategoi]]'' (generals) [[Leo the Isaurian]] and [[Artabasdus]].<ref>{{harvnb|Lilie|1976|p=124}}; {{harvnb|Treadgold|1997|p=345}}.</ref>
[[File:Anatolia ca 740 AD.svg|thumb|250px|left|Map of Byzantine Asia Minor and Thrace circa 740 AD]]
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