LEONTE

Leonti - Byzantine emperor in 695 - 698 years. + 705 g.
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Leontius came from Isaurian area and was stratц?ges Anatolian troops (Nikephoros: 695). In 685 g. Justinian sent him to Armenia, where Leontius, successfully opposing the Arabs, newly conquered Iviriyu, Albania, eruptions and Midia (Theophanes: 678). But then Justinian for some infraction concluded Leontius in prison and three years held in captivity. In 695 g. Leontius emperor suddenly freed and appointed him stratц?ges Greece, ordering, however, the same day to travel from Constantinople. Middle of the night came to an exile his friends - Paul, abbot Kallistrat, and Gregory, the abbot of the monastery Flora. Leonti, seeing them, he said: 'You should not heralded the reign of me, because now I'm going from here, and I am still bitter end of life'. He was about to go sit on the ship, but the monks blocked his path and with the help of many arguments to convince them that the prophecy must surely come true, if only he would not hesitate and now possess the supreme authority. Convinced in the end they, Leonti brought some of his henchmen, and went quietly to the Pretoria. He declared that he came to the emperor. Eparh Pretoria opened the gate and was immediately connected, and Leontius, finding himself inside, and freed all the prisoners and to equip them with. ^ His supporters he told to take a run around the first-1 race and call together all the Christians to the i-house of Sofia. As a consequence, many people in disarray hastened to gather at the baptistery of the church. Supporters Leontius patriarch Callinicus forced to leave the house to appeal to citizens with incentive speech. Then the crowd began to scold and Justinian proclaimed emperor Leontius. With the coming of the day they rushed to the racetrack, which led and associated Justinian. The people demanded the execution of the deposed emperor, but Leonti, sparing him and because of love for his father, Constantine, limited by the fact that ordered him to cut off his nose and tongue, and then sent to the Crimea.

. The new emperor had to soon face a great danger
. In 697 g. Arabs took Carthage and captured all of Africa. Leonti sent against them the Roman fleet under the command of John Patrika. First, John was a success and kicked the Arabs out of Carthage, but then was defeated and retreated to Crete. Here his army mutinied and proclaimed emperor Apsimara, archon Kurikiotskoy Army. Apsimar the fleet approached Constantinople and some time later, after bribing guards on the wall Vlaherna, conquered the city. Leontius he ordered to cut off the nose and locked him in Delmatsky monastery, and he ascended the throne under the name of Tiberius III (Nicephorus: 695,697,698).

Leonti spent seven years in prison. In 705 g. his fate was the last change: Justinian II re-ascended to the throne. Woe thirst for vengeance, he had to deliver Leontius and shame to drag him through the city along with the deposed Tiberius. While the lists of horse he sat, in violation of their neck, legs. Finally, quenching his hatred, he ordered the beheading of both the dogs market (Theophanes: 695).