The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
Phocas
Also known as Phocas the Centurion, Flavius Phocas Augustus, Emperor Phocas
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 203
Phocas is a supporting character in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 1).
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Adult
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 203
- Books
- 1
Phocas began as a centurion whose physical deformities—diminutive stature, shaggy eyebrows, red hair, beardless chin, and a scarred cheek—belied his dangerous ambition. Through violent usurpation, he seized the throne from Maurice, only to rule as a tyrannical emperor marked by lust and drunkenness. His fall was as dramatic as his rise: stripped of the diadem and purple, he was reduced to a prisoner in vile habit and chains, his transformation complete from emperor to captive.
Description
A diminutive and deformed man whose shaggy eyebrows, red hair, and beardless chin create an almost unsettling appearance, further marked by a formidable scar disfiguring his cheek. His presence carries the weight of both imperial authority and the appetites—lustful and drunken—that define his character, whether dressed in the purple or stripped to chains. Phocas presents the image of a middle-aged Byzantine emperor with olive-toned skin and dark brown hair and beard beginning to show traces of gray. He wears the traditional imperial purple tunic richly embroidered with gold thread, fastened at the shoulders with ornate jeweled fibulae. A heavy gold crown set with pearls and sapphires rests upon his head, and his bearing conveys the stern authority of one who holds the power of an ancient empire.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
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