Heraclonas

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Heraclonas
Constantine III (until May 641)
Tiberius (October 641)
Born626
Lazica
Died642 (aged 15–16)
Rhodes
Names
Heraclius[a]
DynastyHeraclian
FatherHeraclius
MotherMartina
ReligionChalcedonian Christianity

Heraclius (

Byzantine emperor
in 641.

Heraclonas was the son of

regency of his mother due to his young age. He reigned until October or November 641, when he was overthrown by Valentinus, a general and usurper of Armenian extract, who installed Constans II, the son of Constantine III. Valentinus had Heraclonas' nose cut off, then exiled him to Rhodes
, where he is believed to have died in the following year.

Early life and family

Heraclonas was born in 626, in the suburban Palace of Sophianae. He was the son of Emperor Heraclius, and his niece-wife Martina,[7][8][9] and was born while Heraclius campaigned in the east against the Persians.[10]

Under Heraclius, the

Byzantine Egypt. He quickly occupied the coastal towns of Egypt, but was unable to cross the Nile, due to stiff resistance by Byzantine forces led by John. After a bloody battle between John and 'Amr, in which John perished, 'Amr was forced to appeal to the Rashidun Caliph Umar for more troops. John was replaced by another general, Theodore, who gathered his forces around Babylon Fortress, a major fortress in Egypt. By summer 640, 'Amr's forces had swelled to around 15,000 men.[11] With these men, 'Amr decisively defeated Theodore north of Babylon, before laying siege to the fortress itself.[12]

Life

Heraclonas was made

kamelaukion (caesar cap) of Heraclonas was removed from his head and replaced with the imperial crown. The same kamelaukion was then placed on David's head.[13][15]

Heraclius died of

Constantine III, and Heraclonas,[16][12][17] who were both proclaimed emperor in late May 641.[16] At the time of his elevation to co-emperor, Heraclonas was only 15 years old, whereas Constantine was 28, which effectively gave the real power to Constantine. Much of the Byzantine public objected to Heraclius' will, as Heraclonas was the result of an avunculate marriage—a marriage between an uncle and niece—which many felt was illegal, thereby making Heraclonas a bastard. Also considered objectionable was the fact that Constantine's ten-year-old son, Constans II, was not elevated alongside Constantine and Heraclonas, breaking the tradition of the succession of senior emperorship from father to eldest son, when possible. It was also thought that the lack of elevation could have precluded him from the succession entirely.[8][17]

Shortly after Constantine took the throne, he was informed by his finance minister,

donatives that comprised half of the payroll,[18] totaled 2,016,000 nomisma.[19] Constantine appointed Valentinus as the commander of the main eastern army, in the hopes of retaining at least the Egyptian coastline. However the Byzantine general Theodore was still unable to repel the Arab attacks. Constantine summoned Cyrus of Alexandria, made him Prefect of Egypt, and instructed him to prepare to reinforce Alexandria. Before this invasion could take place, Babylon surrendered to the Arabs, allowing them to besiege Alexandria.[19]

Heraclius' will also stated that Martina should serve as mother and empress-regent (sharing significant power), but this part was rejected by the Senate. Because of Heraclonas' young age, Martina ruled through him, consistently opposing the policies of Constantine, leading to the creation of two different political factions. Constantine's faction was initially the more powerful of the two, but this control was weakened by a flagging economy and the loss of Egypt to the Arabs. Shortly after, on 25 May 641,[c] Constantine died of an advanced case of tuberculosis, although some supporters of Constantine alleged Martina had him poisoned, leaving Heraclonas as the sole ruler, under the regency of Martina.[17][23][24][25][10]

Sole rule and fall

Solidus of Constans II.[a]

Martina maintained the plans of Constantine, and sent Cyrus to Alexandria, with much of the

see of Alexandria, giving him both religious and secular control. Martina instructed Kyros to attempt to negotiate with the Arabs, as they believed that they were unable to defeat them militarily.[17] Kyros met with 'Amr at the Babylon Fortress and there agreed upon the surrender of Egypt.[28]

Martina was opposed by Valentinus, who was beyond her reach in Anatolia, although she exiled his patron, Philagrius, to Africa.[19][26][27] Heraclonas and Martina lost the support of the Byzantine Senate and people due to the rumors that Martina had poisoned Constantine and their support for Monothelitism.[17] Also at this time, both Heraclonas and Martina's relations with the army suffered as a result of Martina's inability to raise enough funds to match the donative given by Constantine.[19][26][27]

In August 641, Valentinus marched his troops to

Count of the Excubitors.[19][25] In late September/October, Martina elevated Constans to co-emperor, but also crowned Heraclonas' brother David.[9] Despite these offers, Valentinus entered the city in October/November,[d] deposed Heraclonas and Martina, and then elevated Constans to emperor.[19][25][32][10] Valentinus was unwilling to kill a woman and child, but had Martina's tongue slit and Heraclonas' nose cut off in January 642, then exiled them to Rhodes; this is believed to be the first time that the political mutilation of Byzantine prisoners was utilized to signify that the person could no longer hold political power.[17] After this, nothing is known of them, although it is believed that Heraclonas died in 642,[9][25][33][10] likely in Rhodes.[34]

Notes

  1. ^
    Constantine III is referred as "his own brother, the little Constantine". On this basis, Philip Grierson attributed to Heraclonas several coins previously thought to represent Constans II.[2] However, George E. Bates used other numismatic evidence to show that the emperor depicted is indeed Constans II, and that Heraclonas only ruled as "Heraclius".[3]
  2. ^ He is even more rarely called Heraclius III, with Heraclius Constantine numbered as 'Heraclius II' instead of 'Constantine III'.[5]
  3. inclusive counting, though this metod is not used when reckoning Heraclius' death).[22]
  4. ^ This must have happened some time after the election of Paul on 1 October.[25][24] Treadgold argued that Heraclonas was deposed on 5 November 641, as attested in the Chronicon Altinate.[24] Stratos favored January 642, but this would require to place Heraclius' death on March 641.[29] Ostrogorsky gives September 641,[6] but he reaches that conclusion by mixing several contradictory accounts.[30] The fall of Martina is usually dated to late 641.[31][10][17][25]

References

Ancient sources

  • Breviarium by Nikephoros I of Constantinople.[35]
    • .
  • Chronographia by Theophanes the Confessor

Citations

  1. ^ Grierson 1992, p. 223–224.
  2. ^ Grierson 1992, p. 289–401.
  3. ^ Bates 1971.
  4. ^ Grierson 1992, p. 389.
  5. ^ Bussell 1910, pp. xii, 268.
  6. ^ a b Ostrogorsky 1969, pp. 112–114.
  7. ^ Kaegi 2003, p. 324.
  8. ^ a b Treadgold 1997, p. 307.
  9. ^ a b c PmbZ, Heraclonas (#2565/corr.).
  10. ^ a b c d e f Jones, Martindale & Morris 1992, p. 588.
  11. ^ Treadgold 1997, p. 305.
  12. ^ a b Treadgold 1997, p. 306.
  13. ^ a b Kaegi 2003, pp. 265–266.
  14. ^ Stratos 1972, p. 140.
  15. ^ Reiskius 1829, pp. 627–628.
  16. ^ a b PmbZ, Heraklonas (#2565/corr.).
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Moore.
  18. ^ Treadgold 1997, p. 308.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h Treadgold 1997, p. 309.
  20. ^ Kazhdan 1991, p. 917.
  21. ^ Grierson 1992, p. 385.
  22. ^ Stratos 1972, pp. 184–185, 216–221.
  23. ^ Treadgold 1997, pp. 308–309.
  24. ^ a b c Treadgold 1990, pp. 431–433.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Grierson 1992, p. 390.
  26. ^ a b c d Stratos 1980, p. 88.
  27. ^ a b c d Stratos 1980, p. 179.
  28. ^ Jones, Martindale & Morris 1992, p. 378.
  29. ^ Stratos 1972, p. 201.
  30. ^ Stratos 1972, pp. 220–222.
  31. ^ Foss 2005, p. 96.
  32. ^ Kazhdan 1991, p. 496.
  33. ^ Treadgold 1997, p. 310.
  34. ^ Kazhdan 1991, p. 918.
  35. ^ Fontaine 2004, p. 42.

Bibliography

External links

Media related to Heraclonas at Wikimedia Commons

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Constantine III,
Heraclius
David Tiberius
Succeeded by