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The revolt led by Phocas had seriously weakened the Balkan and Persian frontiers, resulting in the advance of the Persians under Chosroes II into Syria. The Persians took Damascus in 613, Jerusalem in 614, and advanced into Anatolia as far as [[Chalcedon]]. Heraclius considered moving the capital to Carthage, but he was dissuaded by Patriarch Sergius I. He began reorganized the Roman army as part of his general reorganization efforts. Heraclius then led the reorganized army back into Persia in late 627. In December 627, the Roman army won a devastating victory over the Persians at a battle at Nineveh.
The population of the provinces recovered from the Persians were followers of the Monophysite [[heresy]], To strengthen his government, Heraclius led an attempt at religious unity by proposing a compromise doctrine called Monothelitism. The compromise was formulated by Patriarch Sergius. Initially, Sergius proposed that Christ did all things through action of a single divine-human energy, in a single mode of activity (''energeia''), but Sophronius, later patriarch of Jerusalem, objected. Sergius then adopting a term "one will" (''mia thelesis'') used by [[Pope]] [[Honorius I of Rome|Honorius]] in an earlier letter to him. This formula was used in the ''[[Ecthesis]]'' drawn up by Sergius and promulgated by Heraclius in 638. Initially accepted by the [[bishop]]s in Constantinople, it fell into disfavor with the rejection of formula by the successors of Honorius. This compromise remained an issue through Heraclius' successions and was finally settled by the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]] in 680. The decision of the Council was the [[anathema]]tizing of the leaders of the Monothelite formula, including the dead Pope Honorius, and reaffirming the [[Council of Chalcedon|Chalcedonian]] definition.
In 629, Heraclius took the Greek title ''basileus'' in place of the former Latin tile of ''augustus'' as part of the shift in the language of government from Latin to Greek. Basilius would remain the title of the Roman emperors until the end of the empire.
[[Category:Rulers]]
[[Category:Roman Emperors]]
[[ro:Heraclie]]
