605.  Phocas begins his cruelties; Constantina, the widow of Maurice, is tortured and afterward beheaded with her daughters; Narses is decoyed to Constantinople and there burned alive.  The hippodrome is defaced by the heads and mangled remains of the tyrant’s victims.

607.  Phocas concedes to Boniface III the supremacy of Rome over all Christian churches.

608.  Boniface IV consecrates the Pantheon—­built by Agrippa to the memory of his divine ancestors B.C. 27—­as the Church of Santa Maria Rotunda.

Khusrau II, King of Persia, invades Asia Minor.

610.  Phocas is given up to Heraclius and beheaded; Heraclius declared emperor of the East.

Venetia has an incursion of the Avars.

612.  Caesarea, Cappadocia, taken by the Persians.

Syria is invaded by the Saracens.

613.  Clotaire unites under his rule all the territories of the Franks.

The youthful Ali becomes Mahomet’s vizier.

614.  Damascus and Jerusalem are taken by the Persians under Khusrau II.

616.  Alexandria and Egypt conquered by the Persians; another army encamps at Chalcedon.  Their general, Saen, introduces to Khusrau an embassy from Heraclius, for which he is flayed alive, and the ambassador imprisoned.

Death of Ethelbert; his son Eadbald succeeds him and restores the pagan worship to England; he is afterward converted to Christianity.

First expulsion of the Jews from Spain.

619.  Heraclius, while holding a conference with Baian, is treacherously attacked by the Avars; he escapes with difficulty.

622.  Roused from his apathy, Heraclius leaves Constantinople and lands at Alexandria; he defeats the Persians, recovers Cilicia, and places his army in secure winter quarters.

Flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina:  the era of the Hegira commences, July 16th.  See “THE HEGIRA,” iv, 198.

623.  Heraclius occupies Armenia, takes Thebarma (Ooramiah), the birthplace of Zoroaster, reconquers Colchis and Iberia, and winters in Albania, having released 50,000 captives.

Suintilla takes the few remaining places in Spain that were still held by the Greek empire.

624.  Ispahan, Persia, is taken by Heraclius; he defeats Sarbaraza at Salban.

625.  Heraclius carries away an immense booty from Persia; he recovers Amida and Samosata.

626.  Constantinople is besieged by the Persians and Avars; the siege fails.  The emperor Heraclius contracts an alliance with the Turks, who, passing the Caspian gates, invade Persia.

627.  Khusrau II is overwhelmed by Heraclius and his Turkish allies.

King Edwin, of Northumberland, embraces Christianity and builds the first minster of wood, at York.

628.  Recovery of Jerusalem and of the presumed true Cross by Heraclius from the Persians.

Khusrau 11 deposed and slain; by treaty all the possessions captured by the Persians are restored to Rome.