Byzantine Senate - Confrontations With The Emperor

Confrontations With The Emperor

There were incidents when the Senate confronted with the Emperor and attempted to assert authority on the basis of their constitutional importance regarding the succession of an Emperor. In 457 they offered to make the Master of Soldiers, the Alan Aspar, Emperor, but the tribune and Senator Leo I, who was Aspar's subordinate, ascended to the throne. In 532, some of the Senators gave their support to the Nika rioters against Justinian I, who did not like or trust the wealthy Senate. After 541, the Senate lost many of its members due to a plague pandemic and during the ensuing economic turmoil, Justinian confiscated the wealth of many of the remaining Senators. In 608 during the rule of Phocas, Heraclius the Elder and his son Heraclius were declared consuls with the backing of Senate members in Carthage. Heraclius later was elected Emperor. Previous emperor Phocas was deposed by the Senate and arrested in a church by two senators.

When Emperor Heraclius died in 641, he left the Empire to be ruled by two of his sons; Constantine III from his first marriage and Heraklonas from his second marriage. Martina, second wife of late Heraclius and mother of Heraklonas, demanded imperial power for herself (although most likely with intended favor for her son), and declared this in a grand ceremony held in the Hippodrome of Constantinople which was attended by the Senate, other high officials and people of Constantinople. Opinion of the Senate and the people being strongly against her, wanting Heraclius' sons to rule, Martina was forced to return to the Great Palace of Constantinople in defeat. However, Constantine died only four months later, leaving his half-brother Heraklonas as sole ruler, and rumours of his Martina having assassinated him started to spread. Soon afterwards, a revolt led by general of the army named Valentinus began, and Heraklonas was forced to accept his young nephew Constans II, son of late Constantine, as co-ruler. In an attempt to lower the chances of Constans ruling, Heraklonas named his lesser brother David (Tiberius) as co-ruler too. This, however, did not ease the discontent among the Senate and the people, and soon the Senate deposed Heraklonas. His nose was slit, Martina's tongue cut out and they were exiled to Rhodes. Constans II became sole Emperor, under the regency of the Senate.