Gregory the Patriarch (... - 648) was a Byzantine governor, and self-proclaimed Emperor of the province of Africa. Biography modifies wikitesto
Gregory the Patriot was related to the royal family; in fact he was a relative of Niceta, cousin of the Emperor of the East Heraclius I. Gregory was created by the Emperor Constant during the first half of the seventh century. Escarca's office brought civil and military authorities together into the hands of a single person. In 647 Gregory rebelled against the Oriental Empire because of the religious controversies that afflicted the Empire between Monotheism and Monoenergy. He declared the independence of the Exarchate from the Eastern Roman Empire and proclaimed the Emperor of Africa (N.B .: Africa means the territory of the African Exarch, not the entire continent). The new empire managed to hold good desert tribes, of which 100,000 men would later fought for Emperor Gregory.
Established the capital of his empire in Sufetula, central Tunisia, to avoid effective Byzantine retaliation. However, at that time, the Arabs were expanding a lot and in a few years they conquered all Persia Sasanide, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. The result was that the city of Carthage was submerged by refugees who had fled Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. That would seem to have sparked religious tensions. But he made it clear to the Emperor that the Arabs were a great threat to the Exile. Between 647 and 648, the Arabs under Abdulla-bin-Sarh and Abdallah bin-Zubeir attacked the city of Tripoli. The Arab invading army was supported by Berber tribes. Emperor Gregory confronted the Arabs in the Battle of Sufetula in 648, supported by 100,000 soldiers from various tribes. This great battle lasted for days until the Arabs captured and killed by the Arabs under the walls of his capital. With Gregory's death the African Empire fell. But the Muslim rule in Africa was short, and the Escarcate of Africa returned for a brief period in Byzantine hand under the Gennady Exile before being finally conquered by the Arabs. Gregory the Patriarch was the only man in history to proclaim "Emperor of Africa". Bibliografiamodifica wikitesto
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