Byzantine Emperor. He joined the army at a young age and quickly attained the rank of Strategos, or military governor, of the Anatolic theme under the Emperor Constantine IV. In AD 686 the Emperor Justinian II put him in command of the Byzantine army that was sent to fight the Arabs in Georgia and Armenia. He acquired a reputation as a ruthless commander and was able to force the Arabic Caliphate into a peace treaty and to pay tribute to the Empire. In AD 692 the war began again and this time he was less successful, suffering a serious defeat at the Battle of Sebastopolis when the Slavic contingent of his army deserted. He was imprisoned as punishment for his failure, but was released two years later to become Strategos of the Helladic Theme. He was given the task of recovering Byzantine territory lost to the Arabs, but instead plotted a revolt against the Emperor and, with the support of his fellow prisoners, the Blue Charioteers Faction and the Patriarch Kallinikos, deposed Justinian in AD 695. He ordered Justinian's nose and tongue to be slit and exiled him to Cherson in the Crimea. His policy as Emperor was to avoid beginning new military campaigns in favour of consolidating the empire. The Caliphate took this as a sign of weakness and attacked Carthage in AD 697; Leontios attempted to retake the city a year later, but was defeated at the Battle of Carthage. His defeated army then rebelled and declared a German sailor, Tiberius Aspimarus, as their leader. Adopting the name Tiberios III, Tiberius led the fleet home to Constantinople and overthrew Leontius in AD 698. Leontius' nose and tongue were slit and he was imprisoned in the monastery of Psamathion in Constantinople until Justinian reclaimed the throne in AD 705 and had both Tiberios and Leontius paraded through the streets and executed at the Hippodrome.