Tiberius III

Tiberius III, born Apsimar, a droungarios in the Cibyrrhaeot Theme, served in the failed expedition sent by Leontius to recover Carthage from the Umayyads in 696. On Crete the mutineers killed their commander John and hailed him emperor; he sailed to Constantinople and deposed Leontius in 698.

He repaired the sea walls, reorganized the naval themes, and let his brother Heraclius raid Cilicia and Syria, winning a victory at Sisium in 704. In 705 Justinian II returned with a Bulgar and Slav army and retook the city. Tiberius was captured in Bithynia and beheaded with Leontius on 15 February 706.