In Memoriam

Heraclius. Byzantine Emperor

Born: Carthage, 574

Died: Constantinople, February 11, 641

Son of a Carthaginian Exarch (territorial governor) of the same name, Heraclius liberated Constantinople. As prize, he was crowned emperor and inherited a Byzantine Empire under wide assault by Turks, Persians and Slavs. Heraclius restructured the military and reformed a corrupt public sector. After a dismal first few foreign policy years, losing Jerusalem, Egypt and Damascus, Heraclius took to the field at the head of his troops and succeded in driving the Persians out of Asia Minor. Turning again to domestic issues, as a devout Christian he tried and failed to quell discord between competing christian sects--basically, arguments about whether Christ was a God only, or a man and a God at once. Or something like that. While Heraclius was refereeing this fight, he was being blindsided by the previously fractious and ineffectual Arabs who had now been united and mobilized by Mohammed under "Islam". The Arabs retook Syria, Egypt and Palestine, pushing as far as Paris and reversing most of Heraclius' gains. He died, on this date, in 641, brilliant in battle but a failure at "the big picture," shamed by the destruction of the once mighty Eastern-Roman Empire.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Internationalist pro-engagement aware Democratic Presidential candidate of your choice.

[Prompted by an email reminder from the friendly folks at about.medievalhistory]