Status Updates From The Chronicle of Theophanes...

Just learned a lot about the Arab invasions of Roman territory and how insane Justinian was. Man literally had everyone killed.

Thus far, I find myself fascinated by Theophanes Chronicle. The telling of Phokas’ coup and Herakleios’ war against Khosroes is both informative and an action packed read that never bores.

Now autiographed by Harry Turtledove.

Progress halted due to lost book. Replacement on the way.

There are quite a few chuckles to be had: the king of the Franks 'reigned by virtue of his family but administered nothing and did nothing but senselessly eat and drink. They had hair growing down their backs like swine.' Of Constantine, emperor in 740, he says 'he was a totally destructive bloodsucking wild beast. He sided against our god and saviour, his altogether immaculate mother, deceived by wizardry.'

Theophanes is the originator of the bio of Muhammad, the false prophet Jews thought might be the messiah except he ate camel so turned him against Xians. An orphan he hired himself out to a wealthy widow relative, 'secretly went to her', married and took over her property. She was upset at being married to an epileptic who said one faints speaking to Gabriel as prophets do. She 'believed' and to make it 'true'....

He takes one through Herakleios' takeover of the empire from the usurper and his recovery of it from the Sassanians, so badly beaten their kings lack authority and their empire falls easily to the Arabs. Herakleios depended on faith, money from the church but came up against Islam which had a stronger faith., Also he was older. The reduced empire did survive, however, and saved Europe from becoming Muslim.

That is I've read the introduction and list of rulers and popes. It clarifies the difference between historians and chroniclers, basically the histories were written in ancient Attic no one read and the chronicles in the Greek of the time people could read. He covers a period when the empire was in continual war against the Arabs, saving Europe from becoming Muslim, as no one else does. His AD dates are all wrong