You stand over Justinian: do you cut his nose or kill him?

You stand over Justinian in the Hippodrome with a knife-do you cut his nose and strip his claim, or kill him and change the empire? You stand over Justinian: do you cut his nose or kill him? In this episode, we follow Leontius from Isaurian soldier to imperial commander, prisoner, monk-prophesied usurper, and the leader of a coalition that seized Justinian II in Constantinople. What went into the choice to mutilate rather than execute, and what did that choice cost the empire and the men who made it? Person: Leontius Date: 15 February 706; 695; 682-695 (career timeline) Location: Hippodrome of Constantinople; Anatolic Theme; Hellas Event: Seizure and mutilation of Justinian II (rhinotomy) Topic: Tribute negotiation with Umayyads (1,000 gold coins weekly) - Leontius rose from Isauria to patrikios and command of the Anatolic Theme under Constantine IV. - In 688 he negotiated a weekly tribute of 1,000 gold coins, a horse, and a slave from the Umayyad caliphate. - After the disputed defeat at Sebastopolis (692) he was imprisoned by Justinian II and attended by monks Gregorios and Paulos. - Freed in 695 and ordered to Hellas, Leontius instead built a coalition of aristocrats, peasants, the Blue faction, and Patriarch Callinicus to seize power. - Confronting Justinian in the Hippodrome, Leontius ordered the rhinotomy-mutilation to bar a return to the throne-explicitly choosing mutilation over execution. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].