John Athalarichos ( el, ; la, Ioannes Athalaricus), also spelled as Atalarichos, Kaegi 2003, p. 120. Athalaric,. and At'alarik, was an

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

son of the 7th century Byzantine 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 ...

. In 637 or 634, depending on the source, he was alleged to have taken part in a plot to overthrow Heraclius and seize the throne. His name, Athalarichos, is

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

, composed of the elements Athala (from Proto-Germanic word * meaning "noble") and (from * meaning "ruler").

Life

Athalarichos first appears in 622, when he was sent, along with Heraclius' nephew Stephen and John, the illegitimate son of the

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

Bonus Bonus commonly means: * Bonus, a Commonwealth term for a distribution of profits to a with-profits insurance policy * Bonus payment, an extra payment received as a reward for doing one's job well or as an incentive Bonus may also refer to: Plac ...

, as a hostage to the Avars to cement a peace agreement. In 635 or 637, some

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

figures, at the time very influential in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, felt their interests would be better served under a new emperor. Their candidate to replace Heraclius was Athalarichos. Also involved were the ''

curopalates ''Kouropalatēs'', Latinized as ''curopalates'' or ''curopalata'' ( el, κουροπαλάτης, from lat, cura palatii "he one incharge of the palace"). and Anglicized as curopalate, was a Byzantine court title, one of the highest from the time ...

'' Varaztirots, son of Smbat Bagratuni;

David Saharuni David Saharuni ( hy, Դաւիթ Սահառունի, ''Dawit' Saharuni'') was '' sparapet'', ''curopalates'', '' ishkhan'', and presiding prince of Byzantine-controlled Armenia from 635 to 638. David was a nakharar from the princely noble House of ...

, Athalarichos' cousin; and Heraclius' nephew, the ''magister''

Theodore Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Sask ...

. Varaztirots pushed for a bloodless coup, in which the emperor would be forced into exile.Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), pp. 706, 1282–1285, 1363–1364. The scheme was never executed, as an informer among the conspirators told the imperial court that Athalarichos was planning a coup attempt. Once Heraclius confirmed the story, he ordered the arrest of everyone involved. His advisers recommended the plotters be executed, but Heraclius was quoted by the historian

Sebeos Sebeos () was a 7th-century Armenian bishop and historian. Little is known about the author, though a signature on the resolution of the Ecclesiastical Council of Dvin in 645 reads 'Bishop Sebeos of Bagratunis.' His writings are valuable as one o ...

as saying, "Since you did as you did with regard to me and did not want to dip your hand into my blood and the blood of my sons, I shall not reach for you and your sons. Go where I order you, and I will have mercy upon you." While he did spare their lives, Heraclius ordered the amputation of each plotter's nose and hands. In addition to being thus mutilated, Athalarichos was

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

d to Prinkipo, one of the

Princes' Islands The Princes' Islands ( tr, Prens Adaları; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", el, Πριγκηπονήσια, ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar ( en, Islands); alternatively the Princes' Arch ...

.Nicephorus, ed. Mango (1990), p. 73. Theodore received the same treatment, but was sent to Gaudomelete (possibly modern day

Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...

) with additional instructions to cut off one leg.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Athalarichos, John 7th-century Byzantine people Heraclian dynasty Byzantine Cappadocians Illegitimate children of Byzantine emperors Byzantine prisoners and detainees Heraclius Byzantine exiles Sons of Byzantine emperors