Category: Byzantine Empire
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The City of Rome’s Final Destruction in the Gothic War
Perhaps no city suffered more than Rome. After its conquest by Belisarius in 536, the Romans successfully held off the Goths during a year-long siege (March 537-March 538). But the Goths then succeeded in recapturing the city in 546, only to lose it again in 547. The Romans then held the city for two years…
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Last Gasp of the Byzantines in Egypt
In 645, after four years of Muslim rule, a massive Byzantine fleet led by the patrician Manuel retook the city in a daring operation. The Byzantines established control over the city itself and much of the surrounding countryside, and for the moment it looked as if the reconquest might be permanent. The Arabs, not content…
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Maurice’s Son Theodosius & His Exceedingly Rare Branch Mint Coinage
One of his subordinates in the Balkan army, Phocas, rose up against him in the autumn of 602. Phocas quickly found support among soldiers resentful of their perceived low compensation and tough standards of discipline, and also among the people of Constantinople. Maurice fled the capital, sending his son, now 19 years of age, to…
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