d too
small to comport with his imperial prospects. Upon becoming emperor,
however, Tiberius quickly rid himself of the dictation of his patroness.
He gave her a stately palace in which to live, and surrounded her with a
numerous train of eunuchs and courtiers; he paid her ceremonious visits
on formal occasions and always saluted the widow of his benefactor with
the title of mother. But it was impossible for Sophia to overcome her
disappointment at being deprived of power, and she set on foot numerous
conspiracies to dethrone Tiberius and to bring about the elevation of
some one whom she could control. The chief of these plots centred about
the young Justinian, the son of Germanus of the house of Anastasius.
Upon the death of Justin a faction had asserted the claims of Justinian;
but Tiberius had freely pardoned the youth for aspiring to the purple
and had given him the command of the Eastern army. Sophia seized upon
the acclamation which the renown of his victories inspired to start a
conspiracy in his interests, but Tiberius heard in time of the intended
uprising and by his personal exertions and firmness suppressed the
conspiracy. He once more forgave Justinian, but he realized the
necessity of restraining the activity of the rapidly aging, but still
clever and intriguing, ex-empress. Sophia was deprived of all imperial
honors and reduced to a modest station, and the care of her person was
committed to a faithful guard who should frustrate any further attempts
on her part to play a part in the game of imperial politics. Thus the
ambitious niece of Theodora passed off the stage of action after a
career which, beginning with every promise of brilliant success and high
renown, had, after many vicissitudes, ended in humiliation and disgrace.

Heraclius's long and memorable reign, from 610 to 641, was characterized
by much domestic infelicity. Upon the day of his coronation he
celebrated his marriage with the delicate Eudocia, who bore him two
children, a daughter, Epiphania, and a son, Heraclius Constantine, the
natural successor to the throne. Heraclius's second wife was his own
niece Martina, the marriage being considered incestuous by the orthodox
and becoming the cause of much scandal. The curses of Heaven too seemed
to be upon the union; of the children, Flavius had a wry neck and
Theodosius was deaf and dumb; the third, Heracleonas, had no pronounced
physical deformity, but was lacking in intellectual power and in m