FREE ESSAY ON HERACLIUS

HERACLIUS

1. Heraclius
ID: Heraclius was born in Cappadocia, in Anatotlia, somewhere around 575. In 610, his
father, the governor of Carthage (Africa), sent him to Constantinople to overthrow the
tyrant Phocas. This venture was successful and Heraclius was proclaimed emperor on
October 5, 610
Sig: Heraclius had to begin his reign by recovering much of his empire from the Persians.
He also had to reorganize the government and the army. Heraclius brought efficiency into
the government and restored financial stability to the empire. In 621, Heraclius began a
seven-year series of campaigns against the Persians. This began because Heraclius wanted
to recover lost territory in Asia Minor. A peace treaty which limited Persia to its old
frontiers was also signed during this time
themes
ID: Military units and provinces give to soldiers in exchange for military service.
Sig: Given to Strategoi
1. Strategoi
ID: Generals who were put in charge of the civil administration of the themes.
SIG: They became the elite and expanded the army.
2. Leo III
ID: Emperor from 717-741. He launched an attach against the Eastern church's use of
icons.
SIG: He was only after successfully repulsing the Muslim armies in their second major
attack on Constantinople (717-718) that Leo openly declared his opposition to icons for
the first time. An angry mob murdered the official who was sent to replace the con of
Christ with a cross over the Bronze Gate. Whole sections of the empire rebelled
vigorously. Leo eventually secured the retirement of the Partiarch of Constantinople and
the consecration of a new one who favored his own views.
3. Iconoclasm
ID: opposition to the religious use of images. Religious pictures and statues were an
early feature of Christian worship
SIG: Iconoclasm flourished in Asia Minor in the 8th and 9th cent. and was favored by
several Byzantine emperors. The controversy led Byzantine artists toward spiritual
expression rather than naturalism
4. caesaropapism
ID: intimate cooperation between the Church and the State which made the Byzantine Empire
essentially a theocracy. 
SIG: The emperor was the Lord's Annointed, and was theoretically obligated to observe
Church dogmas and canons. He was considered holy and lord of the Christian universe.
Patriarchs who headed the Greek Orthodox Church of the Byzantine Empire claimed that
spiritual power was above that of the temporal world, but they lost their power-struggle
with the emperors who considered themselves the successors of the Roman Emperors. The
Church was enveloped by the state, a tradition that was passed on to Russia.
5. filioque
ID: The debate about the holy trinity mainly whether God is equal to the other two.
SIG: It was the main differnce between the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern
Orthodox. This led to the churches splitting and much debate on which to follow.
6. Cyril & Methodius
ID: Byzantine brothers from Thessaloniki, the Apostles to the Slavs.
SIG: major symbols of Byzantine and Christian cultural influence into the Slavic
hinterland of the Balkans and beyond. They and their disciples bridged two different
worlds and contributed to the making of an extensive Christian border culture between the
Medieval Greek and the ancient Slavic traditions.
10. Seljuks
ID: Muslim Arabs that attacked Constantinople.
SIG: Led to the fall of the Byzantium and Ottoman Empire.
11. Muhammad
ID: Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570 CE, during the period of history
Europeans call the Middle Ages. The main prophet of Islam. But, he is not god, he is just
a prophet, yeah you heard me, a prophet.
SIG: He led the two most important events in Muslim, the flight from Medina and the
retaking of Mecca.
12.Mecca & Medina
ID: Two Arab cities located Saudi Arabia. Two holy cities the Muslims.
SIG: Muhammad was exiled from Mecca to Medina but then later led a revolt back to Mecca,
which he took. It then became the holiest city for Muslims.
13. Hijra
ID: Muhammad's emigration from Mecca to Yathrib.
SIG: Happened in 622. Turning point because he became political leader and govern of an
important town and military.
14. Allah
ID: Allah is the Arabian Supreme Being, El or the Hebrew Eli. He is the Creator God of
ancient Arabia who was seen as the father and king of the other gods. When Muhammad
speaks of Allah, there is no god but He. Allah is the All-high, the All-glorious Creator
and Guardian over everything. Allah rewards and punishes, He is omniscient, universal and
all powerful. In essence, it is the submission to the will of Allah that makes Islam what
it is. There is no intermediary with man and Allah, one approaches Allah directly in
prayer and in the reciting of the Quran. Islam is a religion of adoration and worship and
Allah is central to everything.
SIG: Every true Muslim desires to serve Allah with all his heart. He calls out to Him in
his prayers. Allah is honored and the Muslim submits his entire will to Allah, will fight
for Allah and give his life for Allah. Just as Allah heard the prayers of Abraham,
Ishmael and the affliction of Hagar, He hears the prayers of each and every sincere
Muslim. It is wrong for the arrogant, ignorant and apostate Christian to judge the Moslem
in his devotion to Allah. On the contrary, the Moslem serves as a constant reminder to
those with ears to hear to how far the Christians have fallen in their ignorance of the
love taught by Jesus and to what extent they have displaced their devotion into the
oppressive and hateful anti-christ nature of the beast.
15. Koran
ID: The bible of Islam. Written by Muhammad.
SIG: The guidelines and rules of Islam. It is equal to the bible. From Allah via Muhammad
.
16. caliph
ID: office and realm of the caliph as supreme leader of the Muslim community and
successor of the Prophet Muhammad. Under Muhammad the Muslim state was a theocracy, with
the Sharia, the religious and moral principles of Islam, as the law of the land. The
caliphs, Muhammad's successors, were both secular and religious leaders. They were not
empowered, however, to promulgate dogma, because it was considered that the revelation of
the faith had been completed by Muhammad.
SIG: Based on the examples of the first four "rightly guided" caliphs and companions of
the Prophet, the Sunnites formulated the following requirements of the caliphate: the
caliph should be an Arab of the Prophet Muhammad's tribe, the Quraysh; he should be
elected to his office and approved by a council of elders representing the Muslim
community; and he should be responsible for enforcing divine law and spreading Islam by
whatever means necessary, including war. In the history of the caliphate, however, all
these requirements were rarely met.
17. Umayyads
ID: Umayyad Caliph and brother in law to the prophet Muhammad, secured supreme power over
the Arab empire with Damascus as his capital in 661 AD.
SIG: He showed his beaten opponents clemency, and ruled with a wise mixture of tact and
strength, pliant when it was possible and strong when it was necessary. It was
charistically Umayyad that he should have passed a third of his nights listening to the
history of the Arabs.