Gregoria
| Gregoria | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress of the Byzantine Empire | |||||
| Spouse | Constantine III | ||||
| Issue | Constans II, Theodosius, Manyanh | ||||
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| Dynasty | Heraclian Dynasty | ||||
| Father | Niketas | ||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
| Gregoria |
Gregoria (fl. 641) was the Empress consort of Constantine III of the Byzantine Empire. She participated in the minor regency government of her son, Constans II.
She was a daughter of Niketas, a first cousin of Heraclius who had led an overland invasion of Roman Egypt in 608 in the revolt which elevated Heraclius to the throne. Niketas fought against the representatives of Phocas in Egypt and seems to have secured control of the province by 610.
On 5 October 610, Heraclius succeeded Phocas as the Emperor. Niketas was rewarded with the social rank of patrician and the military position of Comes Excubitorum, commander of the Excubitors. He seems to have remained in control of Egypt and took part in the defense against the invasion of Khosrau II of the Sassanid Empire. Egypt was lost to Khosrau in 618 but Niketas survived. Niketas was then appointed Exarch of the Exarchate of Africa. His term started in 619 and lasted to his death in 628/629.
Her paternal grandfather was Gregorius, brother to Heraclius the Elder. Heraclius had been appointed Exarch of Africa by Maurice and lived to support the revolt of his son. But not to its conclusion. Gregorius seems to have served under the command of his brother but the extent of his role is unknown.
The further ancestry of the two brothers is uncertain. Cyril Mango in Deux études sur Byzance et la Perse Sassanide (1985) speculated they were descendants of Heraclius of Edessa, a general under Leo I and Zeno. He was appointed Comes rei militaris prior to 468. He assisted the Kingdom of Egrisi against the invasions of Peroz I of the Sassanids and Vakhtang I of Iberia but had to withdraw when his supply support proved insufficient.
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