Pontus Polemoniacus had been placed by Justinian under a magister militum per Armeniam; and these provinces with Helenopontus and part of Cappadocia were still occupied by the Armeniaci. Thrace was still ruled by the successor of Justinian's praetor, and the Aegean islands obeyed the commander of the naval forces (carabisiani), who took the place of Justinian's quaestor Justinianus, and also exercised jurisdiction, at least for some purposes, over most of the south coast of Asia Minor.[1] Each of these divisions was called a theme (θέμα), and the title of the commanders of all except Obsequium was στρατηγός. Illyricum was almost lost; but the Illyrian praefect still ruled in Thessalonica, exercising military as well as civil powers. The provincial governors perhaps remained as minor judicial officers, but the vicars of the dioceses had disappeared. Of the great civil functionaries, the city-praefect, the magister officiorum (μάγιστρος), and the quaestor retained their old titles; but the comes largitionum was now known as λογοθέτης τοῦ γενικοῦ and the comes rei privatae as sacellarius (treasurer), while the praefect of the East may have survived under some other title, with greatly reduced functions. The general tendency of these changes was to abolish the dependence of one official on another, and bring them all into direct relation to the Emperor.
In 661 Ḥasan's abdication enabled Mu'āwiya to renew the war. A raid by Ḥabīb in 661 effected nothing; but in 662 the Romans were defeated, and in 663 Busr wintered in the Empire. As Constans had taken the bulk of the Anatolic theme to the West, 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān, son of the celebrated Khālid, could advance in 664 to Colonia (Archelais), where he wintered, and in 665, after failing in an attack on some islands in Lake Caralis, he placed a garrison in Amorium, the head-quarters of the Anatolies, which was forced to capitulate, took Pessinus, and, after an unsuccessful attack on another fortified place, Cius, Pergamum, and Smyrna. Having been joined by some of the Slav colonists, he again wintered in Roman territory, and then returned to Emesa, where he soon afterwards died, it is said by poison (666).
In 666 Malik made a raid from Adata and wintered in Roman territory, and in 667 Busr ravaged the district of Hexapolis, west of Melitene, while another force wintered at Antioch in Pisidia: but in 668 the rebellion of Sapor, now general of the Armeniacs, gave an opening for a more dangerous attack. Sapor sent Sergius, one of his sub- ordinates, to ask for the Caliph's support; and on hearing of this the young Constantine, who was ruling in his father's absence, sent Andrew the chamberlain to present gifts to Mu'āwiya and beg him not to countenance rebellion. The two envoys met at the Caliph's court, and Mu'āwiya decided in favour of Sergius, who insulted Andrew by calling him not a man but a eunuch. Andrew retreated by the pass of Arabissus on the road to Hexapolis, where Sapor then was, the commandant of
- ↑ The territorial jurisdiction of the naval στρατηγός was perhaps developed later.
