Heraclius and Muhammad

The Passing Away of Heraclius

Heraclius’s death was a shadow of his glorious youth. He died on 11th February, 641 CE (about 9 years after the passing away of Prophet Muhammad). He suffered from a terrible condition called dropsy (edema) and complications with his urinary tract. Contemporary chroniclers claimed his body was “rotting” as a punishment for his marriage to his niece.

He died at the age of 66, leaving behind a complex legacy of a man who saved the Empire from one enemy only to witness the rise of another. He left an empire that was smaller in size, yet profoundly transformed into the Greek-speaking, medieval Byzantine state that would endure for another 800 years.

During the Fourth Crusade, the Crusaders attacked Constantinople, and broke into the imperial tombs in the Church of the Holy Apostles. They stripped gold and jewels from the stone coffins. Because of this, it is very likely that Heraclius’s tomb was robbed and his resting place was ruined.