Isaac the Armenian ( la, Isachius Armenus; grc-gre, Ισαάκ, Isaák) was an exarch of Ravenna hailing from the

Kamsarakan Kamsarakan ( hy, Կամսարական) was an Armenian noble family that was an offshoot of the House of Karen, also known as the Karen-Pahlav. The Karens were one of the Seven Great Houses of Iran and were of Parthian origin. In the Byzantine-S ...

clan. The chronology of the Exarchate in this period is uncertain: either he succeeded Euselnus and served c. 625 – 644; or he succeeded Eleutherius, and served 620 – 637.

Life and reign

The '' Chronicle of Fredegar'' records a story of how Isaac slew Tasso, duke of Tuscany, by deceit for the benefit of the Lombard king

Arioald Arioald was the Lombard king of Italy from 626 to 636. Duke of Turin, he married the princess Gundeberga, daughter of King Agilulf and his queen Theodelinda. He was, unlike his father-in-law, an Arian who did not accept Catholicism. Arioald de ...

. However, according to

Paul the Deacon Paul the Deacon ( 720s 13 April in 796, 797, 798, or 799 AD), also known as ''Paulus Diaconus'', ''Warnefridus'', ''Barnefridus'', or ''Winfridus'', and sometimes suffixed ''Cassinensis'' (''i.e.'' "of Monte Cassino"), was a Benedictine monk, s ...

, it was the patriarch Gregory who killed Tasso, and Tasso was instead the Duke of Friuli with his brother Kakko. In 638 the Eastern Roman Emperor

Heraclius Heraclius ( grc-gre, Ἡράκλειος, Hērákleios; c. 575 – 11 February 641), was List of Byzantine emperors, Eastern Roman emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exa ...

demanded that the new

Pope Severinus Pope Severinus (died 2 August 640) was the bishop of Rome elected in October 638. He was caught up in a power struggle with Emperor Heraclius, who pressured him to accept Monothelitism. Severinus refused, which for over eighteen months hindered ...

sign his ''Ecthesis'', a Monothelite profession of faith. Severinus refused; Heraclius denied recognition to the pope and sent an official named

Maurikios Chartoularios Maurikios Chartoularios ( el, ), Latinized as Mauricius Chartularius (died 643 at Ravenna), was a Byzantine official and general, and later rebel in Italy. In 638 the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641) demanded that the newly elected Pope ...

to negotiate with the papacy. Maurikios Chartoularios, after arriving in Rome, seized the Lateran and encouraged Isaac to come to the city. Isaac did so; he then briefly resided in the Lateran and with Maurikios Chartoularios plundered the palace. Some of the treasure was sent to Heraclius; much of the rest went to the exarch. Some time later Maurikios Chartoularios attempted to repeat the action, but in order to avoid sharing the wealth he denied recognition to the exarch. Isaac then captured Maurikios Chartoularios and had him executed. The Lombard king

Rothari Rothari (or Rothair) ( 606 – 652), of the Harodingi, house of Arodus, was king of the Lombards from 636 to 652; previously he had been duke of Brescia. He succeeded Arioald, who was an Arianism, Arian like himself, and was one of the most energe ...

conquered all of the imperial possessions in Liguria, as well as much of

Emilia Emilia may refer to: People * Emilia (given name), list of people with this name Places * Emilia (region), a historical region of Italy. Reggio, Emilia * Emilia-Romagna, an administrative region in Italy, including the historical regions of Emi ...

, in around 643. A battle fought between the Lombards and troops of the Exarchate on the banks of the

Panaro Panaro may refer to: Places *Panaro (river), river in Italy *Savignano sul Panaro, a municipality in Modena, Italy *San Cesario sul Panaro, a municipality in Modena, Italy *Marano sul Panaro, a municipality in Modena, Italy *San Felice sul Panaro, ...

ended in defeat for the Eastern Romans, with several thousand soldiers killed. Although Isaac himself probably met his death fighting the Lombards, the author of the life of Pope Theodore in the ''Liber Pontificalis'' writes that Isaac died of a stroke.Davis, ''Liber Pontificalis'', p. 67 There is a

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

of Isaac's located in the Sancta Sanctorum, which contains depictions of

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

, the adoration of the Magi, and Lazarus.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaac the Armenian Byzantine people of Armenian descent 7th-century exarchs of Ravenna 7th-century deaths Year of birth unknown 7th-century Armenian people Kamsarakan family