Theodore Trithyrius ( el, Θεόδωρος Τριθύριος; died 636), commonly known by his title as Theodore the Sacellarius, was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

treasurer of the state (''

sacellarius A ''sakellarios'' ( el, σακελλάριος) or ''sacellarius'' is the title of an official entrusted with administrative and financial duties (cf. ''sakellē'' or ''sakellion'', "purse, treasury") in a government or institution. The title was ...

'') and a military commander during the last years of the reign of

Byzantine emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...

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

Life

Based in

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

during the 7th century, Trithyrius was a Greek Christian treasurer working for the Byzantine authority of Emperor

and extremely loyal to the emperor himself. He enjoyed supremacy under his title of ''

'', usually appointed to the state treasurer. In 634, the emperor sent his brother

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 Saskatche ...

to fighting the invading armies of Arabs in Ajnadayn where he was decisively defeated. On his retreat, Theodore blamed his brother's incestuous marriage to their niece Martina for the defeat of the Byzantine empire and delved into an argument with him. Heraclius stripped him of his command and sent him to Constantinople. With Theodore gone, Heraclius appointed Trithyrius to take lead as the commander of his brother's army. In 635, however, things were beginning to take a serious toll when the Byzantine armies failed considerably at other battles. This partly due to financial setbacks and the Byzantine empire failing to provide salaries for the troops, Trithyrius found himself in another role. For most times, Trithyrius's role with the army served as a constant reassurance. A certain lassitude had filled the air and Heraclius had to disband many regiments for economy's sake. There was no enthusiasm towards joining the army, however the presence of the imperial paymaster encouraged mercenary recruitment. The Muslim conquest of Syria appeared a significant threat to the

Byzantine empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

and Heraclius thus ordered Trithyrius to lead an army to counter the attacks. His real role with the army is questionable, but his involvement brought reassurance nonetheless. In August 636, he charged down to the Yarmouk River, an eastern tributary of the

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...

, to fight the Rashidun army at the

Battle of Yarmouk The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk) was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636 ...

. Against the opposing military leader Khalid ibn al-Walid, Trithyrius decided to give the command to Vahan, an Armenian prince, as he felt he was not a formidable army commander. This was to no avail and he died on 20 August 636 on the battlefield at Yarmouk. {{DEFAULTSORT:Trithyrius, Theodore 636 deaths 7th-century Byzantine people Generals of Heraclius Byzantines killed in battle Byzantine people of the Arab–Byzantine wars Year of birth unknown People of the Muslim conquest of the Levant