Germanus (patricius)
Encyclopedia
Germanus, called "patricius" (Greek: πατρίκιος), was a leading member of the Byzantine Senate
during the reign of Maurice
.
, there is no named relative of Germanus. His name has led to a possible identification with a similarly named son of Germanus (d. 550) and Matasuntha But said son has also been identified with Germanus
, a son-in-law of Tiberius II Constantine
and Ino Anastasia
. The common name "Germanus" may hint to these figures being related to each other but there are insufficient evidence for identifications.
, the eldest son of Maurice and Constantina
. The marriage was recorded by Theophylact Simocatta
, Theophanes the Confessor
, the Chronicon Paschale
, Joannes Zonaras
and Georgios Kedrenos.
On 2 February 602, Theophylact records Germanus rescuing the life of Theodosius from a rioting mob. Part of the riots in Constantinople
due to a food shortage. Later that year, Germanus and Theodosius went hunting to Callicrateia, a brief distance from Constantinople. There they received correspondence from the rebellious army of Thrace. The rebels demanded the deposition of Maurice and offered their support to elevate either Theodosius or Germanus to the throne.
Germanus was soon accused of treason by Maurice. The emperor suspected him of being responsible for the ongoing revolt. Besides the incriminating letter, there was another act pointing to the rebels being allied to Germanus. They were reportedly seizing all horses outside Constantinople. But had left Germanus' horses alone. Germanus pleaded for his innocence in vain. Theodosius convinced his father-in-law to flee before facing the wrath of Maurice.
Germanus and his bodyguard sought sanctuary
, first in the church to the Theotokos
created by Cyrus of Panopolis
, then in the Hagia Sophia
. Maurice send his own guards to capture Germanus and turmoil followed. Germanus considered surrendering but a crown sympathetic to him convinced him otherwise. They were convinced that Maurice was intending to execute Germanus.
. He had miscalculated as the Greens firmly rejected him. The would-be-emperor immediately turned to support Phocas
, the leader of the rebels. According to Theophylact, Phocas had briefly considered elevating Germanus to the throne. But instead seized the throne for himself.
A rumor
of the time suggested that Germanus had managed to save the life of Theodosius by bribing Phocas' men. Theophylact dismisses any truth to the rumor. In any case, Phocas did not trust Germanus. The Chronicon mentions Germanus becoming a priest
in 603. Theophanes considers this to be a direct decision by Phocas. Who had discovered Germanus conspiring against him.
If Phocas believed that he was finished with Germanus, he was wrong. Theophanes records that Constantina maintained contact with Germanus and that both were conspiring against Phocas. Their messages were entrusted to Petronia, a maidservant under Constantina. Petronia proved disloyal and reported the conspiracy to Phocas. Constantina was arrested and placed in the custody of Theopemptus, prefect
of Constantinople. Her interrogation
included torture
and she was forced to give the name of her fellow conspirators.
Constantina and all three of her daughters were executed at Chalcedon
. Germanus and his unnamed daughter were also executed on the island of Prote
. The daughter had been the widow of Theodosius. Theophanes places the deaths in 605/606 but the exact date is in doubt. The Chronicon Paschale reports that all six were decapitated.
Byzantine Senate
The Byzantine Senate or Eastern Roman Senate was the continuation of the Roman Senate, established in the 4th century by Constantine I. It survived for centuries but was increasingly irrelevant until its eventual disappearance in the 13th century....
during the reign of Maurice
Maurice (emperor)
Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians...
.
Family
Other that a wife called Leontia by Theophanes the ConfessorTheophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
, there is no named relative of Germanus. His name has led to a possible identification with a similarly named son of Germanus (d. 550) and Matasuntha But said son has also been identified with Germanus
Germanus (Caesar)
Germanus was a Caesar of the Byzantine Empire. He married Charito, a daughter of Tiberius II Constantine and Ino Anastasia.According to The Emperor Maurice and His Historian: Theophylact Simocatta on Persian and Balkan warfare by Michael Whitby, Germanus was a patrician and governor of the...
, a son-in-law of Tiberius II Constantine
Tiberius II Constantine
Tiberius II Constantine was Byzantine Emperor from 574 to 582.During his reign, Tiberius II Constantine gave away 7,200 pounds of gold each year for four years....
and Ino Anastasia
Ino Anastasia
Ino , renamed Aelia Anastasia was the Empress consort of Tiberius II Constantine of the Byzantine Empire, and Augusta from 578 until her death.-Early life and marriages:...
. The common name "Germanus" may hint to these figures being related to each other but there are insufficient evidence for identifications.
Under Maurice
In November 601 or more likely, in February 602, an unnamed daughter of Germanus married TheodosiusTheodosius (son of Maurice)
Theodosius was the eldest son of Byzantine Emperor Maurice and was co-emperor from 590 until his deposition and execution during a military revolt in November 602. Along with his father-in-law Germanus, he was briefly proposed as successor to Maurice by the troops, but the army eventually...
, the eldest son of Maurice and Constantina
Constantina (empress)
Constantina was the Empress consort of Maurice of the Byzantine Empire.-Family:Constantina was a daughter of Tiberius II Constantine and his wife Ino Anastasia. Her parentage was recorded in the chronicles of Theophylact Simocatta, Paul the Deacon and John of Biclaro.The Georgian Chronicle...
. The marriage was recorded by Theophylact Simocatta
Theophylact Simocatta
Theophylact Simocatta was an early seventh-century Byzantine historiographer, arguably ranking as the last historian of Late Antiquity, writing in the time of Heraclius about the late Emperor Maurice .-Life:His history of the reign of emperor Maurice is in eight books...
, Theophanes the Confessor
Theophanes the Confessor
Saint Theophanes Confessor was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He is venerated on March 12 in the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church .-Biography:Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac,...
, the Chronicon Paschale
Chronicon Paschale
Chronicon Paschale is the conventional name of a 7th-century Greek Christian chronicle of the world...
, Joannes Zonaras
Joannes Zonaras
Ioannes Zonaras was a Byzantine chronicler and theologian, who lived at Constantinople.Under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos he held the offices of head justice and private secretary to the emperor, but after Alexios' death, he retired to the monastery of St Glykeria, where he spent the rest of his...
and Georgios Kedrenos.
On 2 February 602, Theophylact records Germanus rescuing the life of Theodosius from a rioting mob. Part of the riots in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
due to a food shortage. Later that year, Germanus and Theodosius went hunting to Callicrateia, a brief distance from Constantinople. There they received correspondence from the rebellious army of Thrace. The rebels demanded the deposition of Maurice and offered their support to elevate either Theodosius or Germanus to the throne.
Germanus was soon accused of treason by Maurice. The emperor suspected him of being responsible for the ongoing revolt. Besides the incriminating letter, there was another act pointing to the rebels being allied to Germanus. They were reportedly seizing all horses outside Constantinople. But had left Germanus' horses alone. Germanus pleaded for his innocence in vain. Theodosius convinced his father-in-law to flee before facing the wrath of Maurice.
Germanus and his bodyguard sought sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, first in the church to the Theotokos
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
created by Cyrus of Panopolis
Cyrus of Panopolis
Flavius Taurus Seleucus Cyrus , better known as Cyrus of Panopolis from his birthplace of Panopolis in Egypt, was a senior East Roman official, epic poet, philosopher and a lover of Greek arts...
, then in the Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
. Maurice send his own guards to capture Germanus and turmoil followed. Germanus considered surrendering but a crown sympathetic to him convinced him otherwise. They were convinced that Maurice was intending to execute Germanus.
Under Phocas
In late November, 602, Maurice fled the Constantinople to escape the advancing rebels. Germanus took his chance to claim the throne. He counted on the support of the Green faction in the Hippodrome of ConstantinopleHippodrome of Constantinople
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with only a few fragments of the original structure surviving...
. He had miscalculated as the Greens firmly rejected him. The would-be-emperor immediately turned to support Phocas
Phocas
Phocas was Byzantine Emperor from 602 to 610. He usurped the throne from the Emperor Maurice, and was himself overthrown by Heraclius after losing a civil war.-Origins:...
, the leader of the rebels. According to Theophylact, Phocas had briefly considered elevating Germanus to the throne. But instead seized the throne for himself.
A rumor
Rumor
A rumor or rumour is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern" However, a review of the research on rumor conducted by Pendleton in 1998 found that research across sociology,...
of the time suggested that Germanus had managed to save the life of Theodosius by bribing Phocas' men. Theophylact dismisses any truth to the rumor. In any case, Phocas did not trust Germanus. The Chronicon mentions Germanus becoming a priest
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
in 603. Theophanes considers this to be a direct decision by Phocas. Who had discovered Germanus conspiring against him.
If Phocas believed that he was finished with Germanus, he was wrong. Theophanes records that Constantina maintained contact with Germanus and that both were conspiring against Phocas. Their messages were entrusted to Petronia, a maidservant under Constantina. Petronia proved disloyal and reported the conspiracy to Phocas. Constantina was arrested and placed in the custody of Theopemptus, prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of Constantinople. Her interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
included torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and she was forced to give the name of her fellow conspirators.
Constantina and all three of her daughters were executed at Chalcedon
Chalcedon
Chalcedon , sometimes transliterated as Chalkedon) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari . It is now a district of the city of Istanbul named Kadıköy...
. Germanus and his unnamed daughter were also executed on the island of Prote
Kinaliada
Kınalıada is an island in the Sea of Marmara; it is the closest of the Princes' Islands to Istanbul, Turkey, about south. Administratively, it is a neighbourhood in the Adalar district of Istanbul....
. The daughter had been the widow of Theodosius. Theophanes places the deaths in 605/606 but the exact date is in doubt. The Chronicon Paschale reports that all six were decapitated.