Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 11.djvu/716

682 The descendant of a family of leading importance in Ephesus, Heraclitus was born about His cast of mind was so intensely aristocratic that, filled with contempt for the councils and capacities of his fellow-citizens, he made over the hereditary office of ySao-iXevs, which had fallen to him in right of his birth, in favour of his younger brother, and betook himself to a life of solitary meditation. The date of his death was probably about

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1em  HERACLIUS (c.–), emperor of the East, was born in Cappadocia about. He was brought into notice by his heading a successful revolt against the emperor Phocas in, when he usurped the usurper s throne. At that period the eastern provinces of the empire were being ravaged by the triumphant armies of Chosroes (Khosru) II., which in the first twelve of Heraclius s reign continued their unresisted progress to the Bosphorus and the Nile, pillaging Asia Minor and Syria, and reducing Constantinople to the utmost distress by cutting off its Egyptian corn supplies. In the public distributions of grain, which had been carried on since Constantine had instituted them as a bribe to attract citizens to his new city in, were suspended ; and the bankrupt emperor was hardly dissuaded by the almost imperative prayers of his people from quitting his capital in shame and fear for Carthage. Taking courage, Heraclius appears to have set himself to the task of reorganizing both state and army, a labour which had probably occupied him since his accession. He was menaced on the west by the fierce tribe of the Avars, who were casting longing eyes on the riches of the imperial city ; but in he succeeded in making a treaty with them, and interposed a human barrier against their further encroachments by inviting the Serbs and Croats to settle in the intervening regions, which they have never since left. In Heraclius led an army into camp in Asia Minor, and devoted himself with ardour to the drilling of his inexperienced troops. Every military manoeuvre, every useful exercise and even hardship, was ordered and shared by the emperor. Rekindled the enthusiasm of his soldiers by his stirring words, and excited their admiration and affection by his deeds. he led his forces against Persia, and within five, in a series of brilliant campaigns tbat place him side by side with the greatest generals of the world, he overthrew the pride of that empire, drove its monarch a fugitive from his throne, and enriched his exulting troops with untold wealth. Siroes, the son of Chosroes, revolting against his unhappy father, put him to death in, and speedily made a peace with Heraclius, according to which the Persian empire retired to its former limits, prisoners were mutually given up, and the true cross, carried from Jerusalem by the Persians, was restored to Christian hands. Heraclius returned in triumph to Constantinople, which had in his absence two before successfully repulsed a combined assault by the Avars and Persians ; and in  he proceeded to Jerusalem to restore solemnly the holy relic to its ancient place. But he was not long to enjoy the peaceful fruits of victory. A mighty power had been steadily growing up in the hot sands of Arabia, and was now coming to measure its strength with that of the Roman empire. In the Mahometans invaded Syria ; and, over throwing the armies sent to oppose them, in six  they made themselves masters of the country. Egypt next fell before Islam, and in that fair province of the empire was Mahometan. The people of Asia Minor alone successfully resisted the advancing Saracens. Heraclius seems meanwhile to have sunk into a sort of lethargy, as though his efforts in Persia had completely exhausted him. While his generals and armies were being cut to pieces he was engaged at Constantinople, whither he had retreated in, with speculative theological questions. In his JEcthesis appeared, which, tinctured with the heresy of Monothelism, was probably drawn up by the patriarch Sergius. The energy of his earlier life never returned, and in he sank under a long-continued disease. He had been twice married; the second time to his niece Martina, an illicit union which he compelled ths reluctant Sergius to celebrate. His eldest son, Heraclius, succeeded him, taking the title of Constantine III.

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