Nicetas (cousin of Heraclius)
Encyclopedia
Nicetas was the cousin of Emperor Heraclius
, helping him the wars against Phocas
and the Persians in the Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602–628
. He helped Heraclius revolt against Phocas by conquering Egypt in 610. At Egypt, Nicetas established a power base because of his friendship with Patriarch John the Almsgiver of Alexandria, whom he installed on the patriarchal throne. He was also ritual brothers through the rite of adelphopoiesis
with Patriarch John.
To fight the Persians, he combined his forces with Heraclius in Syria only to be defeated by Shahin Vahmanzadegan. Later, he continued to resist the Persian advances only to be checked in 613, where he won a costly victory near Emessa. A later source also records a victory over the Persians at Caesarea in 614. It is possibly for this occasion that a large gilt statue was erected in his honour at Constantinople.
With the invasion of Egypt in 616, Nicetas defended Egypt against Persians in Alexandria. After Alexandria was betrayed to the Persians, Nicetas fled to Cyprus along with Patriarch John. Nicetas disappears from sources after this. It is possible that he died soon after, depriving Heraclius of a trusted commander.
He was the father of the Empress Gregoria
.
Heraclius
Heraclius was Byzantine Emperor from 610 to 641.He was responsible for introducing Greek as the empire's official language. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, successfully led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas.Heraclius'...
, helping him the wars against 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:...
and the Persians in the Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602–628
Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602–628
The Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628 was the final and most devastating of the series of wars fought between the Roman Empire and the Sassanid Empire. The previous war had ended in 591 after Emperor Maurice had helped the Sassanian king Khosrau II regain his throne. In 602, Maurice was murdered...
. He helped Heraclius revolt against Phocas by conquering Egypt in 610. At Egypt, Nicetas established a power base because of his friendship with Patriarch John the Almsgiver of Alexandria, whom he installed on the patriarchal throne. He was also ritual brothers through the rite of adelphopoiesis
Adelphopoiesis
Adelphopoiesis, or adelphopoiia from the Greek , derived from "brother" and "I make", literally "brother-making" is a ceremony practiced at one time by various Christian churches to unite together two people of the same sex...
with Patriarch John.
To fight the Persians, he combined his forces with Heraclius in Syria only to be defeated by Shahin Vahmanzadegan. Later, he continued to resist the Persian advances only to be checked in 613, where he won a costly victory near Emessa. A later source also records a victory over the Persians at Caesarea in 614. It is possibly for this occasion that a large gilt statue was erected in his honour at Constantinople.
With the invasion of Egypt in 616, Nicetas defended Egypt against Persians in Alexandria. After Alexandria was betrayed to the Persians, Nicetas fled to Cyprus along with Patriarch John. Nicetas disappears from sources after this. It is possible that he died soon after, depriving Heraclius of a trusted commander.
He was the father of the Empress Gregoria
Gregoria
Gregoria was the Empress consort of Constantine III of the Byzantine Empire.- Family :Gregoria was a daughter of Niketas, a first cousin of Heraclius. Her father had played a part in the revolt which elevated Heraclius to the throne. Niketas led an overland invasion of Roman Egypt in 608...
.