Heraclonas

Heraclonas, Byzantine emperor (February—September 641), was the son of Heraclius and Martina. At the end of Heraclius' reign he obtained through his mother’s influence the title of Augustus in 638, and after his father’s death was proclaimed joint emperor with his half-brother Constantine III.

The premature death of Constantine, in May 641, left Heraclonas sole ruler. But a suspicion that he and Martina had murdered Constantine led soon after to a revolt, and to the mutilation and banishment of the supposed offenders. This was the first time a reigning emperor had been subjected to mutilation, which was a practise probably borrowed from the Persians; in this case, Martina's tongue was cut out, and Heraclius' nose was cut off. Nothing further is known about Heraclonas subsequent to 641.

This entry contains information originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

Preceded by: Constantine III

Byzantine emperors

Followed by: Constans II