Philippicus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philippicus |
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| Emperor of the Romans | |||||||||
A solidus coin of Philippicus
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| Byzantine emperor | |||||||||
| Reign | 4 November 711 – 3 June 713 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Justinian II | ||||||||
| Successor | Anastasius II | ||||||||
| Born | Pergamum (now Bergama, Izmir, Turkey) |
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| Died | 713 | ||||||||
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| Dynasty | Twenty Years' Anarchy | ||||||||
| Father | Nicephorus | ||||||||
Philippicus was a Byzantine emperor who ruled from 711 to 713. He became emperor after a sudden takeover, replacing the unpopular Emperor Justinian II. About 19 months later, Philippicus himself was removed from power in a similar way. During his short time as emperor, he supported a religious idea called monothelitism. He also faced battles with the First Bulgarian Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate.
Early Life and Rise to Power
Philippicus was originally named Bardanes. His father, Nicephorus, was an important official called a patrician. His family came from an Armenian community in a city called Pergamum. Some historians believe Bardanes was born and grew up in the Byzantine Empire. He was known for being smart and well-educated. He enjoyed studying and was good at speaking Greek.
Bardanes wanted to become emperor. He got help from a religious group known as the Monothelites. When people started to rebel against Emperor Justinian II, Bardanes tried to take the throne. Because of this, he was sent away to an island called Cephalonia. Later, Justinian II sent him even further away to a place called Cherson.
While in Cherson, Bardanes convinced the people there to rebel. He also got help from the Khazars, a powerful group nearby. Bardanes then took the name Philippicus. His rebels successfully captured Constantinople, the capital city. Emperor Justinian II had to run away. Philippicus then became the new emperor. Justinian II was later captured and removed from power. His son, Tiberius, was also captured by Philippicus's officers and killed.
Philippicus's Time as Emperor
One of the first things Emperor Philippicus did was change the leader of the church in Constantinople. He replaced the existing Patriarch Cyrus with John VI, who belonged to Philippicus's own religious group. Philippicus also called a meeting of church leaders. At this meeting, they decided to cancel some rules made by an earlier important church council.
Because of these actions, the Roman Church in the west refused to recognize Philippicus as the true emperor. They also did not accept his new church leader.
While Philippicus was busy with religious matters, the empire faced problems from outside. In 712, the Bulgarian ruler Tervel led his army and attacked Byzantine lands. They even reached the walls of Constantinople. To deal with the Bulgarians, Philippicus moved an army from a region called Opsikion to the Balkans.
This move weakened the defenses in Asia Minor. The Umayyad Caliphate, led by Al-Walid I, took advantage of this. They attacked the Byzantine Empire and gained control of some areas.
In May 713, the Opsikion troops, who had been moved to Thrace, rebelled against Philippicus. They removed him from power. His main secretary, Artemius, then became the new emperor, taking the name Anastasius II. Philippicus died in the same year.
See also
In Spanish: Filípico para niños
Images for kids
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A scene from the 12th-century Manasses Chronicle. It shows Philippicus (on the left) capturing Tiberius (son of Justinian II).
