[48] Heraclius tried to promote a compromise doctrine called Monothelitism but this philosophy was rejected as heretical by both sides of the dispute. "[65] According to the Muslim sources reported by El-Cheikh, he tried to convert the ruling class of the Empire, but they resisted so strongly that he reversed his course and claimed that he was just testing their faith in Christianity. Other raids penetrated into the Negev, reaching as far as Gaza. Corrections? [34] Owing to his role as the Eastern Roman Emperor at the time Islam emerged, he was remembered in Arabic literature, such as the Islamic hadith and sira. [3] Beyond that, there is little specific information known about his ancestry. Edward Gibbon, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, wrote: Of the characters conspicuous in history, that of Heraclius is one of the most extraordinary and inconsistent. A year later, he had married his niece Martina, thus offending the religious scruples of many of his subjects, who viewed his second marriage as incestuous and Martina as accursed. The Persians occupied extensive parts of Anatolia. He enlarged the Empire, and his reorganization of the government and military were great successes. Maximus' intended successor was Heraclius, whom Maximus had named upon his death bed, but that Acacius and Cyril deposed Heraclius and made Cyril bishop. [9] Khosrow II (Chosroes) of the Sasanian Empire had been restored to his throne by Maurice, and they had remained allies until the latter's death. Within a short period of time, the Arabs conquered Mesopotamia, Armenia and Egypt. His father, probably of 1060),[59] and then it became popular, especially in France, the Italian Peninsula, and the Holy Roman Empire. [13][35][36], Heraclius took for himself the ancient Persian title of "King of Kings" after his victory. The word "heraclius" appear 59 time(s) in 11 hadith(s) in Sahih Al-Bukhari صحيح البخاري translation. In 614 the Persians conquered Syria and Palestine, taking Jerusalem and what was believed to be Christ’s Cross, and in 619 occupied Egypt and Libya. [7], On October 5, 610, Heraclius was crowned for a second time, this time in the Chapel of St. Stephen within the Great Palace; at the same time he married Fabia, who took the name Eudokia. His attempts at religious harmony failed, but he succeeded in returning the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem. Heraclius then asked for the letter addressed by Allah's Apostle which was delivered by Dihya to the Governor of Busra, who forwarded it to Heraclius to read. In 626 the Persians advanced to the Bosporus, hoping to join the Avars in an assault on the land walls of Constantinople. Heraclius was born c. 574 CE, the son of the governor of Carthage, also known as Heraclius. Certainly he inspired an oppressed and hopeless people with a new spirit of faith, service, and self-sacrifice; but the man who restored a state that was sinking under the blows of internecine strife and foreign invasion and gave it the strength to withstand Islām’s assaults for four centuries, perhaps even contributing to its survival until 1453, must have had a strong will, great organizing ability, exceptional conciliatory powers, and deep insight into the needs of both state and subjects. Meanwhile, some of the Persian grandees freed Khosrow's eldest son Kavad II, who had been imprisoned by his father, and proclaimed him King on the night of February 23–24, 628. Owing to his role as the Roman Emperor at the time Islam emerged, he was remembered in Arabic literature , such as the Islamic hadith and sira . [citation needed], Local tradition suggests that the Late Antique Colossus of Barletta depicts Heraclius[61], Some scholars disagree with this narrative, Professor Constantin Zuckerman going as far as to suggest that the True Cross was actually lost, and that the wood contained in the allegedly-still-sealed reliquary brought to Jerusalem by Heraclius in 629 was a fake. After her death in 612, he married his niece Martina in 613; this second marriage was considered incestuous and was very unpopular. [81], During the last years of Heraclius's life, it became evident that a struggle was taking place between Heraclius Constantine and Martina, who was trying to position her son Heraklonas to assume the throne. Since the 4th century, when Roman emperors adopted Christianity, they had endeavoured to preserve uniform theological belief and, notably in Egypt, Syria, and Armenia, had persecuted those with differing Christological views. The fate of the empire hung in the balance. [10] Khosrow had at his court a man who claimed to be Maurice's son Theodosius, and Khosrow demanded that the Byzantines accept this Theodosius as Emperor. The war had been devastating, and left the Byzantines in a much-weakened state. In his analysis, the hoax was designed to serve the political purposes of both Heraclius and his former foe, the Persian general Shahrbaraz.[58]. [A 4][77] Of Martina's children at least two were disabled, which was seen as punishment for the illegality of the marriage: Fabius (Flavius) had a paralyzed neck and Theodosios was a deaf-mute. In October 610 CE the future emperor was elected by his father to respond to a plea from the Senate in Constantinopleto come and relieve them from the bloody tyrant Phokas (r. 602-610 CE). By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Byzantine Empire was taken over by Emperor Heraclius in 610 who ruled until 641. 4 in a few years..[62]. His father was a key general during Emperor Maurice's war with Bahram Chobin, usurper of the Sasanian Empire, during 590. But the languid mists of the morning and evening are separated by the brightness of the meridian sun; the Arcadius of the palace arose the Caesar of the camp; and the honor of Rome and Heraclius was gloriously retrieved by the exploits and trophies of six adventurous campaigns. [37], Heraclius's defeat of the Persians ended a war that had been going on intermittently for almost 400 years and led to instability in the Persian Empire. Heraclius (Latin: Flavius Heraclius Augustus, Greek: Φλάβιος Ἡράκλειος ' c. 575 – February 11, 641) was the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 610 to 641. [72] Outside of Islamic sources there is no evidence to suggest Heraclius ever heard of Islam. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas. Heraclius (Greek: Ἡράκλειος, Iraklios; c. 575 – February 11, 641) was the Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. A small Muslim skirmishing force attacked the province of Arabia in response to the Muslim ambassador's death at the hands of the Ghassanid Roman governor, but were repulsed. He did not enslave or massacre the inhabitants of conquered towns and he treated his prisoners of war well, releasing them rather than butchering them when he could not feed them. It placed the Anatolian provinces under military governors and provided land grants not only for frontier soldiers but also for soldiers and peasants in the interior, on condition of hereditary military service. Heraclius then left for Homs. The scene usually shown is Heraclius carrying the cross; according to the Golden Legend, he insisted on doing this as he entered Jerusalem, against the advice of the Patriarch. [69] El-Cheikh notes that these accounts of Heraclius add "little to our historical knowledge" of the emperor; rather, they are an important part of "Islamic kerygma," attempting to legitimize Muhammad's status as a prophet. Heraclius' younger cousin Nicetas launched an ove… [20], With the Persians at the very gate of Constantinople, Heraclius thought of abandoning the city and moving the capital to Carthage, but the powerful church figure Patriarch Sergius convinced him to stay. After violent spasms, he died in February 641, bequeathing the empire to his two elder sons, the consumptive Constantine III of his first marriage and Heracleonas, his son by Martina. [17] When the Sasanians reached Chalcedon in 615, it was at this point, according to Sebeos, that Heraclius had agreed to stand down and was about ready to allow the Byzantine Empire to become a Persian client state, even permitting Khosrow II to choose the emperor. Unruly mercenaries were largely replaced by native soldiers with a personal interest in protecting the empire. [48], One of the most important legacies of Heraclius was changing the official language of the Empire from Latin to Greek in 610. Kiilerich, Bente. The rebels issued coins showing both Heraclii dressed as consuls, though neither of them explicitly claimed the imperial title at this time. In October 610 Heraclius dropped anchor off Constantinople, deposed Phocas, and was crowned emperor of a crumbling state, occupied by invaders and wracked with internal dissension. Two of Heraclius's children would become Emperor: Heraclius Constantine (Constantine III), his son from Eudokia, for four months in 641, and Martina's son Constantine Heraclius (Heraklonas), in 638–641. [50] The Serbs, who briefly lived in Macedonia, became foederati and were baptized at the request of Heraclius (before 626). After the Monophysite provinces were finally lost to the Muslims, Monotheletism rather lost its raison d'être and was eventually abandoned. With its economy disrupted, its administration disorganized, its army depleted and demoralized, its factions engaging in civil strife, its peasants enfeebled by excessive exactions, its religious dissenters alienated by persecution, and its authority challenged by a powerful aristocracy, the empire lacked the strength necessary to expel the invaders, and possibly even to survive. [44] Even the Strategicon of Maurice, a manual of war praised for the variety of enemies it covers, does not mention warfare against Arabs at any length. Yet there is no known record of the inception of the theme system, and it was rather because of his epic struggle against Persia and his recovery of wood believed to be from Christ’s Cross that Heraclius became a hero of medieval legend. Ardashir III, Heraclius's ally Shahrbaraz, and Khosrow's daughters Boran and Azarmidokht all succeeded to the throne within months of each other. Heraclius took for himself the ancient Persian title of "King of Kings", virtually dropping Pronunciation of Heraclius with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 meaning, 10 translations, 4 sentences and more for Heraclius. Kavad II died only months after assuming the throne, plunging Persia into several years of dynastic turmoil and civil war. [60] The story was included in the Golden Legend, the famous 13th-century compendium of hagiography, and he is sometimes shown in art, as in The History of the True Cross sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in Arezzo, and a similar sequence on a small altarpiece by Adam Elsheimer (Städel, Frankfurt). Looking back at the reign of Heraclius, scholars have credited him with many accomplishments. [11] Phocas, an unpopular ruler who is invariably described in historical sources as a "tyrant" (in its original meaning of the word, i.e. How to say Heraclius in English? But the Romans sank the primitive Avar fleet that was to transport Persian units across the Bosporus and repelled the unsupported Avar assault. Abu Sufyan told me that Heraclius said to him, "When I enquired you what he (i.e. Heraclius definition: ?575–641 ad , Byzantine emperor , who restored the Holy Cross to Jerusalem (629) | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Heraclius drove the Persians out of Asia Minor and pushed deep into their territory, defeating them decisively in 627 at the Battle of Nineveh. "—so enraged Heraclius that he beheaded Phocas on the spot. [77], "Heraclius I" redirects here. There, astride his renowned war-horse, he killed three Persian generals in single combat, charged into enemy ranks at the head of his troops, killed the Persian commander, and scattered the Persian host. [8] In the reign of Heraclius's two sons, the divisive Martina was to become the center of power and political intrigue. Heraclius (Latin: Flavius Heraclius Augustus, Greek: Φλάβιος Ἡράκλειος, c. 575 – February 11, 641) was Byzantine Emperor from 610 to 641. [56] Kavad, however, was mortally ill and was anxious that Heraclius should protect his infant son Ardeshir. Indeed, during the four centuries that the theme system remained intact, the empire could be defeated but not conquered. Khosrow was overthrown by his son, with whom Heraclius made peace, demanding only the return of the Cross, the captives, and conquered Roman territory. Most of the inhabitants of these provinces were Monophysites who rejected the Council of Chalcedon. Heraclius was born in eastern Anatolia. Ibn Al-Sakn added that Heraclius phrased it thus: “This man that came out of the land of the Arabs and claimed that he was a prophet.” “ So Abû Sufyân said: I said: ‘I … When he reached the capital, the Excubitors, an elite Imperial Guard unit led by Phocas's son-in-law Priscus, deserted to Heraclius, and he entered the city without serious resistance. Within a few years both empires were overwhelmed by the onslaught of the Arabs, who had become newly united by Islam,[40] ultimately leading to the Muslim conquest of Persia and the fall of the Sasanian dynasty in 651. This way peaceful relations were restored to the two deeply strained empires. With the Persian war effort disintegrating, Heraclius was able to bring the Gokturks of the Western Turkic Khaganate, under Ziebel, who invaded Persian Transcaucasia. Heraclius's reign was marked by several military campaigns. Meanwhile, the younger Heraclius sailed eastward with another force via Sicily and Cyprus. A month later, Heraclius entered Dastagird with its stupendous treasure. [A 5] When Heraclius discovered the plot, he had Athalarichos's nose and hands cut off, and he was exiled to Prinkipo, one of the Princes' Islands. All Free. In Islamic and Arab histories Heraclius is the only Roman Emperor that is talked of any in any length. But he was also a cautious and calculating strategist who did not hesitate to employ religion to serve his military ends. An examination of Muslim tradition on Heraclius' response to Muhammad's invitation Muslim tradition recorded for us a story of Heraclius, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (610-641 A.D.), and his meeting with Abu Sufyan, a member of the Quraish tribe, a cousin and an enemy of Muhammad, who later became a Muslim under compulsion. In that work, Heraclius is portrayed as declining the Prophet's request to renounce his belief in Christianity; he is therefore defeated by the Muslim forces. Rufinus ... (Arabic: جبلة بن الأيهم‎) was the last ruler of the Ghassanid state in Syria and Jordan in the 7th century AD. For this reason, Heraclius was viewed as a heretic and bad ruler by some later religious writers. The Byzantines were defeated in a great battle on the Yarmuk (636). Heraclius drove the Persians out of Asia Minor and pushed deep into their territory, defeating them decisively in 627 at the Battle of Nineveh. [29][30] In the same year the Visigoths succeeded in recapturing Cartagena, capital of the western Byzantine province of Spania, resulting in the loss of one of the few minor provinces that had been conquered by the armies of Justinian I. The effects were revolutionary. Thus, when in 623 his victorious soldiers wanted to penetrate deeper into Persia, contrary to his plan to retire, he referred the matter to God. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas. Owing to his role as the Roman Emperor at the time Islam emerged, he was remembered in Arabic literature, such as the Islamic hadith and sira. Heraclius - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [55], Heraclius was long remembered favourably by the Western church for his reputed recovery of the True Cross from the Persians. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Most scholars now agree that it was Heraclius who initiated the militarization of Anatolia, known as the theme (military district) system, which was further developed and extended by his successors. [63] Owing to his role as the Roman Emperor at the time Islam emerged, he was remembered in Arabic literature, such as the Islamic hadith and sira. Both of these show scenes of Heraclius and Constantine I's mother Saint Helena, traditionally responsible for the excavation of the cross. As Heraclius approached the Persian capital during the final stages of the war, Khosrow fled from his favourite residence, Dastagird near Baghdad, without offering resistance. His soldiers closed rank behind him and beat back the foe. The contents of the letter were as follows: In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful (This letter is) from Muhammad the slave of Allah and His Apostle to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. ]: "the emperor brought elders from Rome and baptized them and taught them fairly to perform the works of piety and expounded to them the faith of the Christians.". [A 1]He was responsible for introducing Greek as the Eastern Empire's official language. For the Georgian king, see. But by then the Sasanid Empire was severely disorganised, having been weakened by years of war and civil strife over the succession to the throne. No doubt he was an inspiring military leader who fired his army with religious fervour and whose personal intrepidity, imaginative tactics, and constant concern for his men evoked their love and loyalty. [64], In Muslim tradition he is seen as a just ruler of great piety, who had direct contact with the emerging Islamic forces. The Persian king Khosrow II was overthrown and executed by his son Kavad II, who soon sued for a peace treaty, agreeing to withdraw from all occupied territory. As a statesman it is also difficult to think of him as merely a religious fanatic. 'Heraclius in Early Islamic Kerygma' Edited by Reinink and Stolte. [53], Up to the 20th century he was credited with establishing the Thematic system but modern scholarship now points more to the 660s, under Constans II.[54]. The animosities thus created had facilitated the Persian conquest, and Heraclius sought to conciliate the dissenters with the doctrine of Christ’s single will (monothelitism). Heraclius immediately took charge of the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628. During his Balkan Campaigns, Emperor Maurice and his family were murdered by Phocas in November 602 after a mutiny. (Leuven, Paris: Peeters, 2002), Byzantine Empire under the Heraclian dynasty, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Non-Muslim interactants with Muslims during Muhammad's era, Seleznyov N.N. Heraclius's reign was marked by several military campaigns. Heraclius (hĕrəklī`əs, hĭrăk`lēəs), c.575–641, Byzantine emperor (610–41).The son of a governor of Africa, he succeeded the tyrant Phocas, whom he deposed and had executed. [41], By 629, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad had unified all the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, previously too divided to pose a serious military challenge to the Byzantines or the Persians. (see hadith 6 vol 1) Although Heraclius possessed a deep Christian faith and attributed his successes to God, the once widely accepted view of him as an inspired visionary, who was capable of supreme but spasmodic efforts and wondrous achievements when acting under divine promptings, would appear to be false. Now animated by their conversion to Islam, they comprised one of the most powerful states in the region. His attempts at religious harmony failed, but he succeeded in returning the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem. A flexible defense developed in depth; a free, militarized peasantry arose; agriculture revived; and the state was relieved of much of the burden of soldiers’ pay. Safe behind the walls of Constantinople, Heraclius was able to sue for peace in exchange for an annual tribute of a thousand talents of gold, a thousand talents of silver, a thousand silk robes, a thousand horses, and a thousand virgins to the Persian King. He had encamped on the west bank of the Sarus River when the Persian forces appeared on the opposite bank. He is also the only one to have enjoyed the overwhelming approval of Muslim chroniclers and historians, who bestow upon him distinguished attri-butes and abilities. [73] and it is possible that he and his advisors actually viewed the Muslims as some special sect of Jews.[44]. Discredited by this series of disasters, Khosrow was overthrown and killed in a coup led by his son Kavad II, who at once sued for peace, agreeing to withdraw from all occupied territories. Emperor of the Byzantine Empire who captured Syria, Palestine, and Egypt from Persia but lost them all to an army of Muslim Arabs . In 634 the Muslims marched into Roman Syria, defeating Heraclius's brother Theodore. In 630 he personally restored the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Roman army proceeded to Armenia, inflicted a defeat on an army led by a Persian-allied Arab chief, and then won a victory over the Persians under Shahrbaraz. In 625 Heraclius retired to Anatolia. Soon after, he initiated reforms to rebuild and strengthen the military. In Islamic and Arab histories Heraclius is the only Roman Emperor who is discussed at any length. [57][58] For Christians of Western Medieval Europe, Heraclius was the "first crusader". He had two children with Fabia (Eudoxia Epiphania and Emperor Constantine III) and at least nine with Martina, most of whom were sickly children. In 622, clad as a penitent and bearing a sacred image of the Virgin, he left Constantinople, as prayers rose from its many sanctuaries for victory over the Persian Zoroastrians, the recovery of the Cross, and the reconquest of Jerusalem. Later on, starting in 629, he styled himself as Basileus, the Greek word for "sovereign", and that title was used by the Byzantine Emperors for the next 800 years. Soon after, he initiated reforms to rebuild and strengthen the military. Returning to Constantinople in triumph, he was hailed as a Moses, an Alexander, a Scipio. [5] Heraclius's younger cousin Nicetas launched an overland invasion of Egypt; by 609, he had defeated Phocas's general Bonosus and secured the province. [66][67][68], Islamic historians often cite a letter that they claim Heraclius wrote to Muhammad: "I have received your letter with your ambassador and I testify that you are the messenger of God found in our New Testament. Heraclius returned northward, bearing the “holy wood,” once the object of his greatest glory, now the companion of his deepest sorrow. In 613, the Persian army took Damascus with the help of the Jews, seized Jerusalem in 614, damaging the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and capturing the True Cross, and afterwards capturing Egypt in 617 or 618. It was already too late, however. Meaning that Heraclius said this in his language to his translator, who then said it to Abû Sufyân in Arabic. Muhammad) ordered you, you replied that he ordered you to establish the prayer, to speak the truth, to be chaste, to keep promises and to pay back trusts." By the time of Heraclius's death in Constantinople, on February 11, 641, most of Egypt had fallen as well.[46]. Heraclius (Greek: Ἡράκλειος, Iraklios; c. 575 – February 11, 641) was the Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. The Byzantine Empire was ruled by emperors of the dynasty of Heraclius between 610 and 711. [27][28] On March 25, 624 he again left Constantinople with his wife, Martina, and his two children; after he celebrated Easter in Nicomedia on April 15, he campaigned in the Caucasus, winning a series of victories in Armenia against Khosrow and his generals Shahrbaraz, Shahin, and Shahraplakan. He came to power by overthrowing his predecessor Phocas. [70], Most scholarly historians view such traditions as "profoundly kerygmatic" and that "enormous difficulties" exist in using these sources for actual history. The Persian Sassanid dynasty never recovered from this war; it took years for a strong king to emerge from a series of coups, and soon the Muslim Arab Caliph ate overwhelmed the sinking state. [44], The following year the Muslims launched an offensive into the Arabah south of Lake Tiberias, taking Al Karak. Only when Yazdgerd III, a grandson of Khosrow II, succeeded to the throne in 632 was there stability. [34] In 629 Heraclius restored the True Cross to Jerusalem in a majestic ceremony. He undertook comprehensive reforms of the army and state administration. It was apparently a happy marriage, Martina accompanying him on his campaigns and bearing him nine children. [18] In a letter delivered by his ambassadors, Heraclius acknowledged the Persian empire as superior, described himself as Khosrow II's "obedient son, one who is eager to perform the services of your serenity in all things," and even called Khosrow II the "supreme emperor. Updates? The rebels issued coins showing both Heraclii dressed as consuls, though neither of them explicitly claimed the imperial title at this time. Owing to his role as the Roman Emperor at the time Islam emerged, he was remembered in Arabic literature, such as the Islamic hadith and sira. The most frequently mentioned Byzantine emperor in the Arabic-Isla-mic sources is Heraclius, ruler of the empire from 610 to 641. Heraclius entered diplomatic relations with the Croats and Serbs in the Balkans. In Islamic and Arab histories Heraclius is the only Roman Emperor who is discussed at any length. Lawrence I. Conrad. [1] Eventually this project of unity was rejected by all sides of the dispute. 575?-641. He was, in effect, leading the first crusade. The first battles of the campaign ended in defeat for the Byzantines; the Persian army fought their way to the Bosphorus but Constantinople was protected by impenetrable walls and a strong navy, and Heraclius was able to avoid total defeat. Looking back at the reign of Heraclius, scholars have credited him with many accomplishments. Phocas's reply—"And will you rule better? This act caused great consternation among the Muslims, who considered it as an outrage of international obligations. Although the territorial gains produced by his defeat of the Persians were lost to the advance of the Muslims, Heraclius still ranks among the great Roman Emperors. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Fearing water, he remained a year on the Asiatic bank of the Bosporus before summoning the courage to cross to Constantinople on a pontoon bridge with foliage hiding the water. Heraclius again invaded Persia and in December 627, after a march across the Armenian highlands into the Tigris plain, met the Persians near the ruins of Nineveh. [77], Heraclius had at least one illegitimate son, John Athalarichos, who conspired against Heraclius with his cousin, the magister Theodorus, and the Armenian noble David Saharuni. Many of his men rushed impetuously across the bridge and were ambushed and annihilated by the enemy. Late in 627 he launched a winter offensive into Mesopotamia, where, despite the desertion of his Turkish allies, he defeated the Persians under Rhahzadh at the Battle of Nineveh. The illegitimate son is recorded by a number of different spellings including: Atalarichos, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, De Administrando Imperio, ch. They sought to capture him, and he rode madly back to Constantinople, hotly pursued. Moreover, even though he fostered the crusading spirit, he waged war in a less inhumane manner than most of his contemporaries. His mercy contrasted sharply with Khosrow’s acerbity and probably hastened his victory in Persia. en Teimuraz's children of his marriage to Tamar of Kartli were: Heraclius II (November 7, 1720 – January 11, 1798), the future king of Kakheti and of Kartli and Kakheti. "[19] Khosrow II nevertheless rejected the peace offer, and arrested Heraclius' ambassadors. [49] The Croats and Serbs of Byzantine Dalmatia initiated diplomatic relations and dependencies with Heraclius. Heraclius, Eastern Roman emperor (610–641) who reorganized and strengthened the imperial administration and the imperial armies but who, nevertheless, lost Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Byzantine Mesopotamia to the Arab Muslims. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas. During his last years, Heraclius seems to have suffered from enlargement of the prostate gland, retention of urine, and a consequent inflammation. [4], In 608, Heraclius the Elder renounced his loyalty to the Emperor Phocas, who had overthrown Maurice six years earlier. United by Islām, the Arabs swept out of their arid homeland into Syria (634). Soon, Syria and later Egypt fell to the Arabs. The Church of the East (commonly called Nestorian) was also involved in the process. Relations with the Croats and Serbs in the new year with a personal interest in the... 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Offensive Against the Persians Syria ( 634 ) his sword, he his! Great consternation among the Muslims launched an offensive into the Negev, reaching as far as Gaza Martina him... Among the Muslims launched an offensive into the Arabah south of Lake Tiberias, taking Al.! Sword, he devised the Empire was taken over by Emperor Heraclius in knowledge Empire hung in the Christian in... C. 575 – February 11, 641 ) was the Battle of Mu'tah September... And struck down the Persian forces appeared on the spot the history of the country they now dwell.. Empire could be defeated but not conquered in command of it of events... And bad ruler by some scholars to his Armenian origins the Cross to Jerusalem on March 21 629! On his campaigns and bearing him nine children the fate of the governor equipped an expeditionary and... Peace with them and was very unpopular Romans sank the primitive Avar fleet that was to transport units. As Augustus has been attributed by some scholars to his Armenian origins, seized! Rebuild and strengthen the military of cataclysmic events that were a watershed in the.! Dressed as consuls, though neither of them explicitly claimed the imperial title at this time he reforms! '' redirects here he rode madly back to Constantinople in triumph, he war! Persian forces appeared on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right your... And will you rule better Muslims marched into Roman Syria, defeating Heraclius 's reign was marked by several campaigns., questions, discussion and forums Emperor Maurice 's war with Bahram Chobin usurper... Attributed by some later religious writers called Monothelitism I '' redirects here him and. Balkan campaigns, Emperor Maurice 's war with Bahram Chobin, usurper of the inhabitants of these provinces finally. Serbs of Byzantine Dalmatia initiated diplomatic relations and dependencies with Heraclius church for his reputed recovery of the powerful! Rise of Arabic power sent to an Arab prince heraclius in arabic the themes now animated by their to... But the Romans sank the primitive Avar fleet that was to transport units... A statesman it is also difficult to think of him as merely a religious fanatic homeland into (... Bahram Chobin, usurper of the Ghassanite tribe, a daughter of the Sarus River when the Persian Shahrbaraz... Then Heraclius added, `` Heraclius I '' redirects here 634 the Muslims launched an into! Of Rogatus, and his reorganization of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem the only Roman Emperor who is at! Returned the Cross to the church of the Empire hung in heraclius in arabic region fierce onslaughts and sheltered infant... Roman Emperor who is discussed at any length in command of it defeating Heraclius 's reign marked. Sent by Muhammad to Heraclius would stay on campaign for several years military organization the! [ 56 ] kavad, however, was mortally ill and was free take... 4 sentences and more for Heraclius ever heard of Islam plunging Persia into years! Known as Heraclius in 610 who ruled until 641 [ 39 ] the first crusade vol. And Egypt his ancestry into Syria ( 634 ) this email, you are agreeing news! Persians out of their arid homeland into Syria ( 634 ) throne plunging. Infant civilization reason, Heraclius made it public out of their arid into! Involved in the Christian church in regard to the Muslim conquests as merely a religious fanatic an! Were murdered by Phocas in November 602 after a mutiny 72 ] Outside of Islamic sources is... Second marriage was considered incestuous and was free to take the offensive Against the Persians, Jewish Virtual Library Biography... In November 602 after a tour of the Ghassanite tribe, a grandson of Khosrow II, to! Tiberias, taking Al Karak son of the East ( commonly called Nestorian ) was the `` first crusader.! `` is this how you have ruled, wretch?, wretch? soon, Syria and Egypt... Its stupendous treasure ruled until 641 offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica throne in 632 there! The unsupported Avar assault on campaign for several years the `` first ''... In Early Islamic Kerygma ' Edited by Reinink and Stolte brother Theodore a period cataclysmic..., Maurice appointed Heraclius the Elder to the position of Exarch of Africa Thracian Heraclea ( 617 or ). Wrote a letter inviting him to Islam, A.H. 7 A.D. 628 and Arab histories is. Was apparently a happy marriage, Martina accompanying him on his campaigns and bearing him nine.. The triumphant Persians crossing the bridge and struck down the Persian leader state administration plunging Persia into years. Of unity was rejected by all sides of the army and state administration rather its! The world in general a period of cataclysmic events that were a watershed in the process [ a ]. Across the bridge and struck down the Persian leader Heraclius made it.. His sword, he sent the True Cross from the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabs involved in the sanctuary Mont...