Άλλα Ονόματα Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης c. 547, probably in Thrace. Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου October 5, 610, Constantinople

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1 Περίληψη : Phokas, called a tyrant in Byzantine sources, was, according to traditional historiography, one of the most incompetent Byzantine emperors; his overthrow from Herakleios saved the Empire. However, a closer study reveals that Phokas was not more violent or ineffectual than other Byzantine emperors; he merely did not have sufficient time to found a dynasty that would legitimise his usurpation of the throne. Άλλα Ονόματα Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης c. 547, probably in Thrace Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου October 5, 610, Constantinople Κύρια Ιδιότητα Centurion, Emperor 1. Phokas: tyrant not basileus The tyranny of Phokas (23 November October 610) is a very controversial period in Byzantine history: Byzantine historians and scholars, both contemporaries of Phokas and later ones, attack the usurper Phokas with ferocity. However, history is written by the winners. In this particular case, in 610, eight years after Phokas dethronement of Maurice ( ) and rise to power, the winner was Herakleios ( ); he managed to overthrow Phokas and found a new dynasty. Despite the fact that other Byzantine emperors would also seize power in a violent way, such as Basil I ( ), what proved to be Phokas downfall was not the way he rose to the throne nor his policy, but the fact that he did not manage to establish himself on the throne. Byzantine sources call Phokas a tyrant; this term includes the Byzantine meaning of usurper, as well as the ancient-roman meaning of the word, which is also the modern meaning. 1 Very indicative of the Byzantine historians and sholars attitudes toward the tyrant is the way he is described: George Pisides ( ca ) compares the fallen Phokas to a sea monster and to Gorgon, among others, 2 while Theopylaktos Simokattes (b. late 6th c.) calls him a «mixobarbaros» (racially mixed), a Cyclops and a Centaur. 3 Later historians, such as Theophanes (ca ), Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople ( ) and George Kedrenos (12th c.), blame Phokas exclusively for all evils that befell the Empire from his reign onwards, 4 However, there are several Syrian texts documenting significant events during Phokas reign; these are not mentioned in the Greek sources 5 and require a revision of the image that scholars have for his reign. 2. The rebellion of 602 One of the reasons for the fall of Emperor Maurice was the crucial situation in the Balkans at the time. During his reign, Maurice had attempted to confront the Avars and Slavs, who raided the Empire. In 600, after years of struggling, he managed to sign a peace treaty with the Avars, appointing the Danube as the border between them and the Empire. 6 In order to prevent the Avars and Slavs from crossing the Danube again, the Byzantines kept large military forces in the area. However, the army was not content due to the constant hardships and the wars, while the costly military expeditions and large sums of money given to Avars and Franks in order to preserve Justinian s frontiers also caused the people s dissatisfaction. 7 Therefore, when in 602 the army was ordered to winter once more on the other side of the Danube, the soldiers rebelled and Phokas, a mere centurion, was proclaimed emperor. The rebels moved towards the capital, where a revolt had also broken out. The Green and Blue demoi of Constantinople were ordered to defend the walls but refused to follow the command. Phokas entered the capital triumphally and he was welcomed with great celebrations by the people; Maurice and his son were arrested and Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/8/2017 Σελίδα 1/6

2 executed The reign of Phokas Popular acceptance of Phokas at the beginning of his reign shows that it was not considered, at least initially, a tyrannic regime; this is also indicated by the support shown by Pope Gregory I ( ). 9 However, as the new emperor did not have any dynastic ties with previous rulers, he had to formulate other ways of establishing himself to power: he terrorised primarily the senatorial aristocracy in order to avoid conspiracies, 10 while at the same time he attempted to have peace with external enemies. Phokas signed a peace treaty with the Lombards in Italy, clearly staing his diversion from Justinian s expansionary policies. He also brought an end to the conflict between Pope Gregory I and the Patriarchs John Nesteutes ( ) and Kyriakos ( ) concerning the right of the Patriarch of Constantinople to call himself ecumenical Patriarch. Phokas supported the papal side, by sending an edict to Pope Boniface III in 607, recognising the Roman Church as head of the Churches. 11 The Persian King Chosroes II ( ), who had previously been helped onto his throne by Maurice, now took advantage of his violent fall. Conspiring with the general Narses, who had already revolted in Edessa near Euphrates in 603, Chosroes presented himself as the avenger of Maurice and invaded Byzantine territories in 604. Phokas, unable to handle war in two fronts, transferred the army from Europe to Asia, while at the same time he raised the annual tribute to the Avars. The new Byzantine-Persian treaty clearly appeared to be at the expense of the Byzantines, with the Persians rainding the eastern provinces; however, there are some provincial sources, mainly Syrian, that reveal the strong resistance of the Byzantines, at least during the first years of this conflict. However, the effort to also deal with the revolt in the exarchate of Africa in Egypt, by moving troops there, appeared to weaken the Byzantine defence, as we will see further on. 12 The revolt of Narses, combined with the Persian invasion, intensified the mistrust towards the new Emperor Phokas; his reaction was violent. In 605 he executed a large group of senators and nobles, while a year later the Empress Constantina, widow of Maurice, and her daughters were also killed on the grounds of conspiracy The fall The senatorial aristocracy, who had taken the greatest blow from the former centurion s measures, decided to react; they made contact with the exarch of Africa Herakleios (father of the future Emperor of the same name) and urged him to take action against Phokas. From 608, Herakleios the Elder blocked the annual shipment of grain from Carthage to Constantinople, while his son, Herakleios the Younger, took over the command of the fleet. 14 In the meantime, conditions in the capital were becoming unbearable, with the people resenting the shortage of grain. Herakleios the Younger and his fleet of rebels reached the Dardanelles in September 610. A group of exiled noblemen and part of the clergy welcomed him in Abydos. On October 3, the fleet anchored in Constantinople meeting little resistance from the guards, the factions or the people; therefore, Herakleios easily occupied the capital 15 Phokas was arrested and executed, and his body was burned in the forun Bovis; several of his associates died at the hands of the people. 16 On October 5, 610, Herakleios was crowned emperor by the Patriarch and founded a new dynasty, accomplishing was his predecessor failed to achieve. 1. Hunger, Η., Βυζαντινή λογοτεχνία. Η λόγια κοσμική γραμματεία των Βυζαντινών Β : Ιστοριογραφία, Φιλολογία, Ποίηση, trn. Κόλιας, Τ. Συνέλλη, Κ. Μακρής, Γ.Χ. Βάσσης, Ι. (Αθήνα 1992), p George Pisides, Herakleias II, Pertusi, A. (ed.), Giorgio di Pisidia Poemi I: Panegirici epici (Ettal 1959), pp Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/8/2017 Σελίδα 2/6

3 3. Theophylaktos Simokattes, Historia, dial. 4, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae (Lipsiae 1887), p Theophanes, Chronographia, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophanis Chronographia I (Lipsiae 1883), p ; Nikephoros of Constantinople, Short History, Mango, C. (ed. and transl.), Nikephoros Patriarch of Constantinople, Short History (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 13, Washington, D.C. 1990), p ; George Cedrenos, Historiarum compendium, Bekker, Ι. (επιμ.), Georgius Cedrenus Historiarum compendium I (Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1838), p On these sources see Olster, D.M., The Politics of Usurpation in the Seventh Century: Rhetoric and Revolution in Byzantium (Amsterdam 1993), pp Καραγιαννόπουλος, Ι., Το Βυζαντινό κράτος (Θεσσαλονίκη ), pp Λουγγής, Τ.Κ., Επισκόπηση βυζαντινής ιστορίας Α ( ) (Μελέτες ΚΜΕ, Αθήνα ), pp Theophylaktos Simokattes, Historia, 8.6ff., de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae (Lipsiae 1887), p. 293ff. See also Goubert, P., Autour de la révolution de 602, Orientalia Christiana Periodica 33 (1967), pp ; Χριστοφιλοπούλου, Α., Βυζαντινή Ιστορία Α : (Θεσσαλονίκη ), pp Λουγγής, Τ.Κ., Επισκόπηση βυζαντινής ιστορίας Α ( ), Μελέτες ΚΜΕ, Αθήνα ), p See Λουγγής, Τ.Κ., «Δοκίμιο για την κοινωνική εξέλιξη στη διάρκεια των λεγόμενων σκοτεινών αιώνων», Σύμμεικτα 6 (1985), pp , esp. p. 140ff. 11. Dölger, F., Regesten der Kaiserurkunden des oströmischen Reiches von : Regesten von (München Berlin 1924), nr Olster, D.M., The Politics of Usurpation in the Seventh Century: Rhetoric and Revolution in Byzantium (Amsterdam 1993), pp See Χριστοφιλοπούλου, Α., Βυζαντινή Ιστορία Α : (Θεσσαλονίκη ), pp ; Λουγγής, Τ.Κ., Επισκόπηση βυζαντινής ιστορίας Α ( ) (Μελέτες ΚΜΕ, Αθήνα ), pp Kaegi, W.E., Ηράκλειος, αυτοκράτορας του Βυζαντίου, trn. Κωνσταντινάκου, Δ., ed. Τσαούση, Μ. (Αθήνα 2007), pp. 68ff. 15. See Χριστοφιλοπούλου, Α., Βυζαντινή Ιστορία Α : (Θεσσαλονίκη ), pp ; Λουγγής, Τ.Κ., Επισκόπηση βυζαντινής ιστορίας Α ( ) (Μελέτες ΚΜΕ, Αθήνα ), pp Theophanes, Chronographia, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophanis Chronographia I (Lipsiae 1883), p ; Nikephoros of Constantinople, Short History 1, Mango, C. (επιμ. και αγγλ. μτφρ.), Nikephoros Patriarch of Constantinople, Short History (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 13, Washington, D.C. 1990), p Βιβλιογραφία : Hunger H., Βυζαντινή λογοτεχνία. H λόγια κοσμική γραμματεία των Βυζαντινών, 2: Ιστοριογραφία, Φιλολογία, Ποίηση, Μ.Ι.Ε.Τ., Αθήνα 1992, Κόλιας, Τ. Συνελλή, Κ. Μακρής, Γ.Χ. Βάσσης, Ι. (μτφρ.) Θεοφάνης, Χρονογραφία, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophanis Chronographia, Leipzig 1883 Haldon J.F., Byzantium in the Seventh Century. The Transformation of a Culture, Cambridge 1991 Χριστοφιλοπούλου Α., Βυζαντινή ιστορία, 1, Θεσσαλονίκη 1992 Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/8/2017 Σελίδα 3/6

4 Νικηφόρος Πατριάρχης, Ιστορία σύντομος, Mango, C. (ed.), Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople, Short History, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 13, Washington, D.C Γεώργιος Κεδρηνός, Σύνοψις Ιστοριών, Bekker, Ι. (ed.), Georgius Cedrenus Ioannis Scylitzae ope, Ι-ΙΙ, Corpus scriptorum historiae Byzantinae, Bonn Ι: 1838 ΙΙ: 1939 Καραγιαννόπουλος Ι.Ε., Το βυζαντινό κράτος, 4η έκδ., Θεσσαλονίκη 1996 Goubert P., "Autour de la révolution de 602", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 33, 1967, Γεώργιος Πισίδης, Ἡρακλειάς, Pertusi, Α (ed.), Giorgio di Pisidia Poemi I: Panegirici epici, Ettal 1959 Spintler R., De Phoca imperatore Romanorum, Jena 1905 Olster D.M., The Politics of Usurpation in the Seventh Century. Rhetoric and Revolution in Byzantium, Amsterdam 1993 Kaegi W.E., Ηράκλειος, αυτοκράτορας του Βυζαντίου, Αθήνα 2007, Κωνσταντινάκου, Δ. (μτφρ.) Λουγγής Τ., Επισκόπηση βυζαντινής ιστορίας Α ( ), 2η έκδ., Αθήνα 1998 Λουγγής Τ., "Δοκίμιο για την κοινωνική εξέλιξη στη διάρκεια των λεγόμενων «σκοτεινών αιώνων»", Σύμμεικτα, 6, 1985, Dölger F., Regesten der Kaiserurkunden des oströmischen Reiches von : Regesten von ,, München Berlin 1924 Θεοφύλακτος Σιμοκάττης, Ιστορίαι, de Boor, C. Wirth, P. (eds), Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae, Stuttgart 1972 Δικτυογραφία : Roman Emperors - DIR Phocas Γλωσσάριo : exarchate Byzantine administrative term, designating a territorial and and administrative unit. It was formed in late 6th C. in Carthago and Ravenna, both regions of high political and military importance. The exarch (the govrnor of an exarchate) accordingly combined both political and military power. The exarchate of Carthago is attested until the late 7th C., while that of Ravenna until the mid-8th C. Πηγές George Cedrenos, Compendium Historiarum I, Bekker, I. (ed.), Georgius Cedrenus Historiarum compendium I (Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1838), p George Pisides, Herakleias II, Pertusi, A. (ed.), Giorgio di Pisidia Poemi I: Panegirici epici (Ettal 1959), pp Dölger, F., Regesten der Kaiserurkunden des oströmischen Reiches von : Regesten von (München Berlin 1924), nr Theophanes, Chronographia, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophanis Chronographia I (Lipsiae 1883), pp , Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/8/2017 Σελίδα 4/6

5 Theophylaktos Simocattes, Historia, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae (Lipsiae 1887), pp ; 293ff. Nikephoros of Constantinople, Short History, Mango, C. (ed. and trans.), Nikephoros Patriarch of Constantinople, Short History (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 13, Washington, D.C. 1990), pp ; Παραθέματα An account of Phokas' character by the poet George Pisides ἤδη μὲν οὖν ἔσβεστο τῆς τυραννίδος τὸ πῦρ ὁ Φωκᾶς, ἡ καταιγίς, ἡ μέθη, ὁ τῶν καθ ἡμᾶς συμφορῶν πρωτεργάτης, ἡ τῶν ἐν ὕπνοις φασμάτων τιμωρία, ὁ τὰς καθ ἡμᾶς αἱματώδεις ἐκχύσεις ἔχειν νομίζων εἰς τρισάθλιον κράτος, τῆς γῆς τὸ κῆτος, τὸ πρόσωπον Γοργόνος. George Pisides, Herakleias II, ed. A. Pertusi, Giorgio di Pisidia Poemi I: Panegirici epici (Ettal 1959), pp The tragic end of Phokas and some of his close associates ὃν ἰδὼν Ἡράκλειος ἔφη οὕτως, ἄθλιε, τὴν πολιτείαν διῴκησας; ὁ δὲ σὺ μᾶλλον εἶπε κάλλιον διοικεῖν μέλλεις. εὐθὺς οὖν αὐτοῦ διὰ ξίφους ἔτι πρὸς τῷ πλοίῳ ὄντος καταψηφίζεται θάνατον, ἔπειτα ἀκρωτηριάζεσθαι, χεροῖν τε δεξιὰν ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ ὠμιαίου ἄρθρου ἐκκόπτεσθαι καὶ τῶν αἰδοίων ἐκτέμνεσθαι καὶ κοντοῖς ἀναρτᾶσθαι, οὕτω τε τὸ σῶμα συρὲν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Βοὸς λεγόμενην ἀγορὰν τῷ πυρὶ καταπίμπρασθαι, Δομεντιόλον τε τὸν Φωκᾶ ἀδελφὸν καὶ Βονόσσον καὶ Λεόντιον τὸν τῶν βασιλικῶν χρημάτων ταμίαν τὸν αὐτὸν τῷ Φωκᾷ συνδιαφέρειν κίνδυνο προσέταττε. Nikephoros of Constantinople, Short History 1, ed. and trans. C. Mango, Nikephoros Patriarch of Constantinople, Short History (CFHB 13, Washington, D.C. 1990), p Χρονολόγιο 600: The Byzantines sign a peace treaty with the Avars, and the Danube becomes the frontier. Struggling to stop the Avars and Slavs from crossing the Danube, the Byzantines maintain a large military force in the area 602: The Byzantine army in the Danube revolt, after being ordered to winter once again to the north of the river, and Phokas is proclaimed Emperor. The rebels move towards Constantinople and Phokas enters the city in triumph. Emperor Maurice and his sons are executed 23 November 602: Phokas is crowned emperor 603: The Byzantine general Narses rebels in Edessa of Euphrates 604: The Persian King Chosroes II presents himself as the avenger of Maurice and, conspiring with General Narses, invades Byzantine territories 605: On Phokas orders, many senators and noblemen are executed on the grounds of conspiracy 606: The Empress Constantina, widow of Maurice, and her daughters are accused of conspiracy and executed 607: Phokas sends an edict to Pope Boniface III, recognising the Roman Church as head of the Churches Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/8/2017 Σελίδα 5/6

6 608: The exarch of Africa, Herakleios the Elder rebels against Phokas. He stops the annual shipment of grain from Carthage to Constantinople. At the same time he gathers an army: his nephew Niketas leads the army and conquers Egypt, while his son, Herakleios the Younger, becomes leader of the fleet September 610: Herakleios the Younger and his fleet reach the Dardanelles 3 October 610: Herakleios fleet anchors in Constantinople, where they meet little resistance. Herakleios easily takes control of the capital and arrests Phokas 4 October 610: On Herakleios orders, Phokas is executed 5 October 610: Herakleios is crowned emperor Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/8/2017 Σελίδα 6/6