Heraclius, Emperor of ByzantiumThis book evaluates the life and empire of the pivotal yet controversial and poorly understood Buzantine emperor Heraclius (AD 610 641), a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad. His stormy and war-torn reign is critical for understanding the background to fundamental changes in the Balkans and the Middle East, including the emergence of Islam, at the end of antiquity. He respectievely captured and recaptured important swathes of territory, including Jerusalem and Syria and Egypt. This is the first English-language synthesis of diverse primary sources in the light of recent historical scholarship. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
Armenia and Africa the formative years | 21 |
Internal and external challenges in the first decade of the reign | 60 |
Taking the offensive | 102 |
Peril and hope | 124 |
The invasion of Mesopotamia | 158 |
Five crucial years a narrow window of opportunity | 194 |
Tested again | 231 |
Losing control | 267 |
Conclusions | 302 |
Chronological table | 326 |
330 | |
348 | |
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Africa Agapios Alexandria Analecta Avarica Anastase le Perse Anastasios Anatolia Antioch Arabs Armenian Avars Balkans battle Boor Byzantine armies Byzantine military Byzantine territory Byzantium campaign Carthage Christian Chron Chronicle Chronicon Paschale church commanders Constantine VII Constantinople contemporary Cross defeat defense Doctrina Jacobi east ecclesiastical Edessa Egypt Emperor Heraclius Emperor Maurice empire Festugičre Flusin forces George of Pisidia Gugerotti Heraclian Heraclius Constantine Heraclius probably Heraclius the Elder Heraclius the Younger Hist historian holy imperial invasion Islam Jerusalem Jews John of Nikiu Kaegi Khusrau Kök Turks Komentiolos Kyros late Mango Mango-Scott Martina Mesopotamia Michael the Syrian Nikephoros Nineveh northern Syria Palestine Patriarch Sergios Persians Pertusi Philagrios Philippikos Phokas PLRE Priskos region relics religious reportedly Roman Saint Anastase Sasanian Sebeos seventh century Shahrbaraz Short History siege soldiers Sophronios sources Strategikon Syria Theodore Synkellos Theoph Theophanes Theophylact Thomson traditions trans troops upper Mesopotamia victory warfare Whitby Yarmuk