Theodosius, son of Maurice. A miraculously saved emperor or a Persian impostor?
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Keywords

Byzantine Empire
Persia
Maurice
Teodosius (son of Maurice)
Phocas

How to Cite

Buczyński, Dawid. 2025. “Theodosius, Son of Maurice. A Miraculously Saved Emperor or a Persian Impostor?”. In Gremium. Studies in History, Culture and Politics, no. 19 (October), 133-44. https://doi.org/10.61826/ig.vi19.488.

Abstract

In this article I try to present the figure of Theodosius, son of the byzantine emperor Maurice I. The subject of the analysis is the fate of the heir to the throne after the overthrow of Maurice by the military coup of Phocas, that is, the period when Theodosius allegedly fled, asking for help from the ruler of Persia, Khosroes II, who was closely associated with Maurice. The most important thing in this matter seems to be the conflict of accounts we have about the actions of Theodosius, who was recognized by one side as the legal successor to his father. While his opponents claim the pretender is actually an impostor, impersonating the deceased imperial son. The conflict here will mainly revolve around the analysis of the two authors who most broadly present the figure of Theodosius. Questioning the authenticity of the pretender Theophylact Simokatte who was active among the Persians, and Sebeos describing his modest activities.

https://doi.org/10.61826/ig.vi19.488
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References

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