Justinian II, nicknamed "the Slit-Nosed", was the last Byzantine emperor of the Heraclian dynasty, reigning from 685 to 695 and again from 705 to 711. Like his namesake, Justinian I, Justinian II was an ambitious and passionate ruler who was keen to restore the Roman Empire to its former glories. However, he responded brutally to any opposition to his will and lacked the finesse of his father, Constantine IV. Consequently, he generated enormous opposition to his reign, resulting in his deposition in 695 in a popular uprising. He only returned to the throne in 705 with the help of a Bulgar and Slav army. His second reign was even more despotic than the first, and in 711 he was killed by mutinous soldiers.
Justinian II Solidus
Mutilation of Justinian II on the orders of Leontius in 695, miniature from a 15th century French manuscript.
Emperor Justinian II rewards Tervel of Bulgaria for his military aid, that helped him retake the throne.
Justinian and his son Tiberius, whom he crowned co-emperor in 706.
Byzantine Empire under the Heraclian dynasty
The Byzantine Empire was ruled by emperors of the dynasty of Heraclius between 610 and 711. The Heraclians presided over a period of cataclysmic events that were a watershed in the history of the Empire and the world. Heraclius, the founder of his dynasty, was of Armenian and Cappadocian (Greek) origin. At the beginning of the dynasty, the Empire's culture was still essentially Ancient Roman, dominating the Mediterranean and harbouring a prosperous Late Antique urban civilization. This world was shattered by successive invasions, which resulted in extensive territorial losses, financial collapse and plagues that depopulated the cities, while religious controversies and rebellions further weakened the Empire.
The Byzantine Empire after Heraclius reconquered the Eastern Provinces from the Sassanids.
Solidus of Heraclius' reign, showing his son Constantine III as co-emperor.
The Arsanias River, now known as the Murat River in modern Turkey.
Battle between Heraclius and the Persians. Fresco by Piero della Francesca, c. 1452