God Arises
The Challenge of The Qur’an
~ 300 ~
capital, Constantinople, after a minor battle and
Phocas was killed.
Although Heraclius succeeded in eliminating
Phocas, he failed to counteract the Persian menace,
which eventually proved insuperable. By 616, the
Romans had lost the entire territory in the east and
west, save the capital, to the Persian emperor. In
Iraq, Syria Palestine, Egypt and Asia Minor, the
Zoroastrian flag replaced the Christian flag.
Heraclius was besieged on both sides by these
implacable enemies and the Roman Empire was
eventually reduced to what lay within the walls of
Constantinople. After the loss of Egypt, the capital
was afflicted by famine and pestilence. Thus the
situation was worsening day by day. Only the trunk
of the Roman Empire’s huge tree had survived, and
even that had begun to wither away. The public
lived in fear and horror of the Persians who might
lay siege to Constantinople at any moment. Normal
transactions came to a standstill and public places,
which at one time had been bustling with activity,
now wore a deserted look.
