Heraclius and Muhammad

Heraclius, crowned in Constantinople, 610 CE

Heraclius did not inherit the throne; he seized it by right of conquest. His coronation followed a powerful Roman Byzantine tradition: The Patriarch of Constantinople crowned him as a divinely sanctioned ruler, underscoring the legitimacy of his reign. He would rule for over three decades, from 610 to 641 CE.

Heraclius presided over solemn ceremonies and blessings within Hagia Sophia following his victory over the Sasanian Empire, where he restored the True Cross to Christendom.