7th Century Byzantine Leadership: Reevaluating Recent Scholarship on Heraclius

Abstract

This thesis examines the Roman emperor Heraclius, who rules Byzantine Rome from 610 -641CE. It will look at the military, political, and religious decisions that Heraclius made during his civil war with the usurper Phokas that lasted from 603-610, his continuing of the war with Persia that was in response to Phokas' coup of Maurice from 610 to 628, and finally his war with Arab forces as the early followers of Mohammad spread through Levantine Rome and Persia from 622 to the death of Heraclius in 641.We will examine the changes that occurred in Rome that came about through Heraclius' decision making as he navigating this series of events that were a major threat to Rome during his rule, and explore how these decisions may still be affecting the world today.