Phocas
Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (usurper)
"Rule better, if thou canst."
Biography
A low-ranking centurion raised to the purple by a mutinous army, Phocas seized the throne by murdering Maurice in 602 and presided over eight years of catastrophe. Cruel, unpopular, and out of his depth, his reign saw the Persians overrun the eastern provinces, revolts and terror at home, and the empire slide toward collapse. His usurpation gave Khosrow the pretext for war, and his misrule left the empire unable to resist the Persian onslaught. In 610 the young Heraclius sailed from Africa to overthrow him; deserted by all, Phocas was captured, reportedly reviled by Heraclius and defiantly answering that his successor would rule no better, and then executed and dismembered. He is remembered as one of the most disastrous of all Byzantine emperors.
Did you know?
The last honorific column ever erected in the Roman Forum, the Column of Phocas, still stands in Rome — a monument to the very emperor whose misrule helped end the ancient world.
Key Battles
The Overthrow of Maurice
Sasanian Persian Empire victoryNovember 602 · 100 total casualties
The usurpation of Phocas and the murder of Maurice gave Khosrow the excuse to launch the last and greatest Roman–Persian war. The internal Byzantine chaos under the tyrant Phocas let the Persians make catastrophic early gains.
Life Journey
Timeline
c. 547
🌅 Birth
Born in Thrace
602
📍 Posting
Seizes the throne by murdering Maurice
October 5, 610
✝️ Death
Overthrown and executed by Heraclius