What is Phocas?
{{Infobox royalty|name=Phocas|image=PhocasNew.png|caption=Bust of Phocas|succession=[[List of Byzantine Emperors|Byzantine Emperor]]|reign=23 November 602 - 5 October 610|full name=Phocas|predecessor=[[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]]|successor=[[Heraclius]]|spouse=[[Leontia]]|religion=[[Chalcedonian Christianity]]|birth_place=[[Thracia]]|death_date=5 October 610|death_place=[[Constantinople]], [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman Empire]]|regnal name=[[Medieval Latin|Latin]]: Imperator Caesar Phocas Augustus <br/> [[Medieval Greek|Greek]]: Αυτοκράτορας Καίσαρ Φωκάς Αύγουστος|birth_date=c. 547|mother=[[Domentzia]]|title=[[List of Byzantine Emperors|Emperor of the Romans]]}}Phocas ([[Medieval Latin|Latin]]: Focas; [[Medieval Greek|Greek]] Φωκάς c. 547 - 5 October 610) Was a [[List of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine Emperor]] from 23 November 602 - 5 October 610. Phocas was a middle ranking officer within the ranks of the East Roman Army. He rose to power when a group of angry soldiers in 602 proclaimed him Emperor after deposing [[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]]. Phocas deeply mistrusted basically everyone especially the elites in [[Constantinople]] as he knew he was just a usurper and didn't have any connections with anyone. As soon as he became emperor, Sasanian Emperor [[Khosrow II (emperor)|Khosrow II]] used this as an excuse to invade the Eastern Roman Empire which at a time was facing troubles internally and elsewhere which would spark the beggining of a 2 decade long Roman-Persian War which would prove to be a disaster not only to the Persians but Also the Eastern Roman Empire. [[Category:540s births]] [[Category:610s deaths]] [[Category:Byzantine emperors]]