Heraclius, after some months of travel, enters…
September 628 CE
Heraclius, after some months of travel, enters Constantinople in triumph and is met by the people of the city, his son Heraclius Constantine, and Patriarch Sergius, prostrating themselves in joy.
His alliance with the Persians results in the recovery of the Holy Sponge, which is fastened to the True Cross on September 14, 628, in an elaborate ceremony.
The ceremonial parade approaches the Hagia Sophia, where the True Cross is slowly raised up until it vertically towers over the high altar.
To many, this is a sign that a new golden age is about to begin for the Empire.
Heraclius takes for himself the ancient Persian title of "King of Kings" after his victory over Persia.
Later on, starting in 629, he will style himself as Basileus, the Greek word for "sovereign", and that title will be used by the Roman Emperors for the next eight hundred years.
The reason Heraclius chose this title over previous Roman terms such as Augustus has been attributed by some scholars as relating to his Armenian origins.
The victorious conclusion of the war cements Heraclius' position as one of history's most successful generals.
He is hailed as "the new Scipio" for his six years of unbroken victories and for leading the Roman army where no Roman army had ever gone before.
The emperor might well believe that, if the earlier success of the Persians signalized the resurrection of the Achaemenid Empire, his own successes have realized the dreams of Caesar, Augustus, and Trajan.
The triumphal raising of the True Cross in the Hagia Sophia is a crowning moment in his achievements.
If Heraclius had died at this moment, he would have been recorded in history, in the words of Norman Davies, as "the greatest Roman general since Julius Caesar".
Instead, he will live through the coming Arab invasions, losing battle after battle against their onslaught and tarnishing his reputation for victory.