Byzantine Emperor. He was born in AD 652 and was named as co-Emperor with his father Constans II in AD 654, becoming senior Emperor when Constans was murdered in AD 668. Pope Vitalian aided him in putting down the uprising that had caused his father's death, but he was soon faced with an attempted invasion by the Caliph Muawiyah I. The Arab army eventually reached Constantinople, where their fleet was destroyed with "Greek Fire" at the Battle of Syllaeum in AD 678. In 680 he convened the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which committed the Empire to the Orthodox doctrines of the Council of Chalcedon of AD 451. In AD 680, the Bulgars invaded Imperial territory on the Danube and he led an army to drive them out, but he had to leave his army due to ill health. His forces were defeated and in AD 681 he was forced to pay protection money to avoid further losses of territory. In the same year he ordered his brothers, Heraclius and Tiberius, who had been crowned Augusti alongside him, mutilated so they would be ineligible to rule, and made his son, Justinian, his new co-ruler. He died of dysentery in AD 685.
Byzantine Emperor. He was born in AD 652 and was named as co-Emperor with his father Constans II in AD 654, becoming senior Emperor when Constans was murdered in AD 668. Pope Vitalian aided him in putting down the uprising that had caused his father's death, but he was soon faced with an attempted invasion by the Caliph Muawiyah I. The Arab army eventually reached Constantinople, where their fleet was destroyed with "Greek Fire" at the Battle of Syllaeum in AD 678. In 680 he convened the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which committed the Empire to the Orthodox doctrines of the Council of Chalcedon of AD 451. In AD 680, the Bulgars invaded Imperial territory on the Danube and he led an army to drive them out, but he had to leave his army due to ill health. His forces were defeated and in AD 681 he was forced to pay protection money to avoid further losses of territory. In the same year he ordered his brothers, Heraclius and Tiberius, who had been crowned Augusti alongside him, mutilated so they would be ineligible to rule, and made his son, Justinian, his new co-ruler. He died of dysentery in AD 685.
Bio by: js
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