Maurice (emperor)

Maurice
Solidus of Emperor Maurice
Roman Emperor of the East
Reign13 August 582 - 27 November 602
PredecessorTiberius II
SuccessorPhocas
Born539
Arabissus, Cappadocia
(now Afşin, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey)
Died27 November 602
Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire
SpouseConstantina
Full name
Tiberius Mauricius (until 558)
Mauricius novus Tiberius (from 558)
Regnal name
Imperator Caesar Flavius Mauricius novus Tiberius
Augustus
DynastyJustinian
FatherPaul
Tiberius II (adoptive)
ReligionChalcedonian Christianity

Mauricius (Latin: Mauricius, Greek: Μαυρίκιος, 539 - 27 November 602) was an Eastern Roman emperor and the last member of the Justinian dynasty. Maurice was a successful and skilled general and as a result, Emperor Tiberius II chose him as his heir and son-in-law.

His reign was marked as troubled constant warfare from the Avars and Slavs in the Balkans, Lombards in itlay, and the Persians from the East. Maurice was able to secure a large amount of land in the caucasus from Persia in exchange for helping Khosrow II get back to the sasanian throne. Although he was successful in the battlefields and foreign policies, he evetually faced mounting financial crises ehich made him unpopular. The army eventually proclaimed Phocas as their new emperor and deposed Maurice. While escaping with his family, they were caught and was executed by Phocas.