A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

4. The patrician, contemporary with the emperor Mauricius or Maurice, is perhaps the same as No. 2. Theodosius, the son of Maurice, married his daughter A. D. 602. During the revolt which closed the reign and life of Maurice, Theodosius and Gernanus left Constantinople on a hunting excursion, and while absent had some communication with the revolted troops under Phocas, who offered the imperial crown to either or both of them (A. D. 602). On their return to Constantinople, Maurice accused Germanus of conspiring against him, and Germanus in alarm fled to one of the churches in Constantinople. The emperor sent to drag him from his sanctuary, but the resistance of his servants enabled him to escape to the great church. Maurice then caused Theodosius to be beaten with rods, on suspicion of aiding his father-in-law to escape. Germanus, it is said, would have given himself up, but the malcontents in the city would not allow him to do so; and he, in anticipation of Maurice's downfal, tampered with them to obtain the crown. Meantime the army under Phocas approached, and Germanus, probably through fear, went out with others to meet him. Phocas offered him the crown, but he, suspecting the intentions of the rebel, declined it. Phocas having himself become emperor, and being apprehensive of Germanus, first made him a priest (A. D. 603), and afterwards (A. D. 605 or 606), feeling still insecure, put him to death, together with his daughter. (Theophan. Chronog. p. 388, 445-456, &c. ed. Bonn; Theophyl. Simocatta, Hist. 8.4, 8, 9, 10, and apud Phot. Bibl. cod. 65; Zonar. 14.13, 14; Cedren. vol. i. p. 710, ed. Bonn.)