Justinian II

Also known as Emperor of the East Justinien II, Rhinotmetus, Emperor of the East Justinian II, Rhinotmetos, Emperor of the East Justinianus II, Ioustinianos II, Iustinianus II, Justinian II, Emperor of Constantinople

Byzantine Emperor from 685 to 695 and from 705 to 711

AI overview

Justinian II was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled twice: first from 685 to 695, and then again from 705 to 711. His reign matters because his two separate periods of rule and the circumstances surrounding them reveal important patterns of political instability and power struggles in the Byzantine Empire during this period.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Gender: male
Citizenship: Byzantine Empire
Place of birth: Constantinople
Place of death: Sinop
Spouse: Theodora of Khazaria
Father: Constantine IV
Mother: Anastasia
Occupation: politician
Position held: Byzantine emperor
Languages spoken: Ancient Greek
Religion: Christianity
Family: Heraclian dynasty
Image: Justinian II mosaic (cropped).png

Show 9 more facts

Commons category: Iustinianus II
date of birth: 0669-01-01
date of death: 0711-12-11
canonization status: saint
time period: Byzantine Empire
name in native language: Ιουστινιανός Β'
described by source: Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
cause of death: decapitation
manner of death: homicide

Sources (1)

wikidata.org

via Wikidata · CC0

~19 min read

Encyclopedic overview

DynastyHeraclian FatherConstantine IV MotherAnastasia ReligionChalcedonian Christianity

Justinian II (Greek: Ἰουστινιανός, romanized: Ioustinianós; Latin: Iustinianus; 668/69 – 4 November 711), nicknamed "the Slit-Nosed" (Greek: ὁ Ῥινότμητος, romanized: ho Rhīnótmētos), 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 Bulgarian army. His second reign was even more despotic than the first, and in 711 he was killed by mutinous soldiers.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Justinian II” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.