Flavins Tiberius Macricus, a Byzantine emperor, born in Arabissus, Cappadocia, about 539, executed Nov. 27, 602. Descended from an ancient Roman family, he passed his youth in the camp and at the court of Justin II., and on the accession of Tiberius II. in 578 was appointed to conduct the war against the Persians. In 580 and 581 he totally overthrew the Persians in two pitched battles, and returned to Constantinople in triumph. On the death of Tiberius, who proposed Mauricius for his successor, the latter ascended the throne amid universal rejoicing (582). The Persians immediately renewed the war, and twice defeated the Byzantine commander-in-chief on their borders. Mauricius sent out his brother-in-law Philippicus, who gained a great victory at Solacon in 586, but soon after suffered a total defeat in Arzanene. Philippicus was deposed, but raised a mutiny, by which he regained the command only to give new proof oMiis incompetency; he was again deposed, and Heraclius retrieved the fortunes of the empire by repeated victories. The war which succeeded between the Turks and Persians gave relief to the Byzantine arms. The Persian kirn: Chosroes II., being driven into exile, took refuge in the Byzantine territory, and wrote a letter to Mauricius imploring aid.

The emperor gave him a large sum of money, and sent a powerful army for the invasion of Persia. The Persian rebel Bahrain was decisively defeated at Balarath, Chosroes was restored to his throne (591), and from this time till the death of Mauricius there was peace between Persia and the empire. Hostilities, begun in 587, had in the mean while been carried on against the Avars. After one defeat the barbarians refrained from any incursion for five years. When they again threatened the empire, Mauricius intended to put himself at the head of the army; but it was already the Byzantine custom for the emperor not to command in the field, and yielding to the remonstrances of the senate, he sent Priscus as a substitute. He was unsuccessful, and was superseded by the emperor's brother Peter, and the latter soon after by Commentiolus, who suffered a disastrous defeat, in which 12,000 Byzantines were made'prisoners by the Avars, and engaged in treacherous intrigues. The fortune of the war was restored in five successive battles by Priscus, who was again placed in command. In 602 he was ordered by Mauricius to pass to the northern side of the Danube into the Avar territory.

The emperor had allowed the prisoners taken by the Avars to be put to death rather than ransom them, the reason probably being that they were the mutinous and dangerous soldiers of Commentiolus. The troops of Priscus now complained that they were destined to destruction like the 12,000 prisoners, organized a rebellion, made Phocas commander-in-chief, and marched toward Constantinople; and while an insurrection arose in the city, Mauricius escaped with his family by sea, took refuge in the church of St. Autonomy, near Chalcedon, and despatched his son to Chosroes to ask him in turn for aid in the recovery of his throne. The emissaries of Phocas, who had been proclaimed emperor, found him in the sanctuary, and dragged him thence to the; scaffold. Five of his sons were Kecuted with him, his eldest son Theodosius Boon alter, and the empress and three of her daughters were imprisoned and afterward put to death. He was distinguished for habits of self-control, affection, and piety. He strictly enforced beneficial laws, protected art and learning, and wrote a treatise on the military art, which still exists.