# John Crucis

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{{Short description|7th century demarch of the Greens}}
'''John Crucis''' (also '''John Kroukis'''; {{langx|el| Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐπίλην Κροῦκις}}; {{died in|603}})<ref name=PLRE>{{harvnb|Jones|Martindale|Morris|1992|p=700}}</ref> was a [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine) rebel, [arsonist](/source/arsonist) and [demarch](/source/demarch) of the [Greens](/source/Greens_(Byzantine_Empire)). He was appointed demarch by Emperor [Phocas](/source/Phocas) in late 602. However, he soon led the Greens in a riot, committing arson throughout large areas of [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople). In 603, he was publicly [burned alive](/source/Death_by_burning) on the orders of Phocas.

==Biography==
[Theophanes the Confessor](/source/Theophanes_the_Confessor) records that, in 602, the [Greens](/source/Greens_(Byzantine_Empire)) appealed to the emperor [Maurice](/source/Maurice_(emperor)), saying "[Constantine](/source/Constantine_Lardys) and Domentziolus,{{refn|group=note|This [Domentziolus](/source/Domentziolus) (or Domniziolus) was [Constantine Lardys](/source/Constantine_Lardys)' subordinate, and had been the director of the [Hormisdas Palace](/source/Boukoleon_Palace) and an ambassador for Maurice.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|Martindale|Morris|1992|p=413}}</ref><ref name="Olster"/><ref name="Booth"/>}} o three-times august master of the Romans, are agitating your own deme so that Crucis might become our demarch on account of our sins".{{refn|group=note|{{langx|el|Κωνσταντῖνος καὶ Δομεντζίoλος, δέσποτα Ῥωμαίων τρισαύγουστε, τῷ οἰκείῳ σου δήμῳ παρενοχλοῦσιν, ἵνα ὁ Κρούκης διοικήσῃ, εἰς ἃς ἔχομεν ἁμαρτίας.}}<ref>{{harvnb|Theophanes|1883|p=287}}</ref>}} The Greek could alternatively be punctuated to read "Constantine and Domentziolus, o three-times august master of the Romans, are agitating your own colour. Let Crucis be our manager!"{{refn|group=note|{{langx|el|Κωνσταντῖνος καὶ Δομεντζίoλος, δέσποτα Ῥωμαίων τρισαύγουστε, τῷ οἰκείῳ σου δήμῳ παρενοχλοῦσιν. Ἵνα ὁ Κρούκης διοικήσῃ εἰς ἃς ἔχομεν ἁμαρτίας.}}<ref>{{harvnb|Theophanes|1997|p=416}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Janssens|1936|p=504}}</ref>}}<ref name="Booth">{{harvnb|Booth|2011|p=568–570}}</ref> The former interpretation implies that Crucis was appointed demarch against the Greens' wishes,<ref name="Whitby">{{harvnb|Whitby|Whitby|1989|p=145}}</ref> while the latter implies that the Greens were divided between a pro-Crucis and an anti-Crucis faction. Historian David Michael Olster hypothesised that the pro-Crucis faction included [Germanus'](/source/Germanus_(patricius)) agent Hebdomites, while the anti-Crucis faction was supported by Sergius (Crucis' predecessor as demarch), Constantine Lardys, and Domentziolus.<ref name="Olster">{{harvnb|Olster|1993|p=79}}</ref>

Shortly after Maurice's overthrow and murder by [Phocas](/source/Phocas), Crucis was appointed to replace Sergius, the first known [demarch](/source/demarch) of the Greens. However, Crucis soon led the Greens in a riot, in which they set fire to a large area around the [Mese](/source/Mese_(Constantinople)), from the [Palace of Lausus](/source/Palace_of_Lausus) and the ''[praetorium](/source/Praetoria_of_Constantinople)'' in the east as far as the [Forum of Constantine](/source/Forum_of_Constantine) in the west.<ref name="Whitby"/> This riot notorious enough to be mentioned by Jacob, the author of the ''[Doctrina Jacobi](/source/Doctrina_Jacobi)'', who wrote "When Phocas became emperor in Constantinople, as a Green I betrayed Blue Christians, and denounced them as Jews and ''[mamzirs](/source/Mamzer)''. And when the Greens under Crucis burnt the Mese and perpetrated evil, as a Blue I again beat up Christians, insulting them as Greens and denouncing them as incendiaries and [Manichaean](/source/Manichaean)s."<ref>{{harvnb|Booth|2011|p=576–577}}</ref>

The ''[Chronicon Paschale](/source/Chronicon_Paschale)'' states that Crucis was "was burnt in the Mese between the ''[praetorium](/source/Praetoria_of_Constantinople)'' of the [city prefect](/source/Praefectus_urbi) and the [Forum](/source/Forum_of_Constantine)." Most historians interpret this to mean that Crucis was captured by Phocas and publicly [executed by burning](/source/Death_by_burning).<ref>{{harvnb|Booth|2011|p=576}} "John Crucis, demarch of the Greens, was burnt alive as punishment."</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Cameron|1976|p=282}} "The Green demarch was burned alive"</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Olster|1993|p=77}} "Phocas, who has little patience for the demes, had the Green demarch, John Crucis, burned alive"</ref> This was in line with other cruelties perpetrated against the Greens by Phocas, who according to [Theophanes](/source/Theophanes_the_Confessor) "maimed many persons and hung their limbs in the [Sphendone](/source/Hippodrome_of_Constantinople), while others he beheaded and others he put in sacks and drowned in the sea."<ref>{{harvnb|Theophanes|1997|p=426}}</ref> These orders were carried out by Cosmas, possibly the former Blue demarch whom Phocas had appointed as [urban prefect](/source/Praefectus_urbi).<ref>{{harvnb|Booth|2011|p=578, 599}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Olster|1993|p=78}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite journal |last= Booth|first= Phil|year= 2011|title= Shades of Blues and Greens in the Chronicle of John of Nikiou|url= https://www.academia.edu/30549962 |journal= [Byzantinische Zeitschrift](/source/Byzantinische_Zeitschrift)|volume= 104|issue= 2|pages= 555–602|doi=10.1515/BYZS.2011.013}}
* {{cite book|last=Cameron|first=Alan |author-link=Alan Cameron (classicist) |title=Circus Factions: Blues and Greens at Rome and Byzantium|year=1976 |location=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |url=https://archive.org/details/alan-cameron-circus-factions.-blues-and-greens-at-rome-and-byzantium-1976-oxford/ |isbn=978-0198148043}}
* {{cite journal |last= Janssens|first= Yvonne|year= 1936|title= LES BLEUS ET LES VERTS SOUS MAURICE, PHOCAS ET HERACLIUS |url= https://archive.org/details/byzantion-06-1931/Byzantion-11-%281936%29/page/499/|journal= Byzantion|language= French|volume= 11|issue= 2|pages= 499–536}}
* {{Cite book |first1=A. H. M. |last1=Jones |author-link1=A. H. M. Jones |first2=J. R |last2=Martindale|author-link2=John Robert Martindale |first3=John |last3=Morris |author-link3=John Morris (historian) |url=https://archive.org/details/plre-01-260-395/PLRE03A_527-641/ |title=The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-521-20160-5| volume=III: A.D. 527–641}}
* {{cite book|last=Olster|first=David Michael |title=The Politics of Usurpation in the Seventh Century: Rhetoric and Revolution in Byzantium|year=1993|isbn=978-9025610104}}
* {{cite book |author=Theophanes|author-link= Theophanes the Confessor|translator-first= Cyril|translator-last= Mango|translator-link= Cyril Mango|title=The Chronicle Of Theophanes Confessor, Trans. By Cyril Mango (1997)|year=1997 |orig-year=815|url=https://archive.org/details/chronicle-of-theophanes-the-confessor/}}
* {{cite book |author=Theophanes|author-link= Theophanes the Confessor|editor-first= de Boor|editor-last= Carolus|title=Theophanis chronographia|year=1883 |orig-year=815|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_TnRHAAAAYAAJ/page/287}}
* {{cite book |last=Simocatta |first=Theophylact |author-link= Theophylact Simocatta|translator-first1= Michael|translator-last1= Whitby |translator-link1= Michael Whitby|translator-first2= Mary|translator-last2= Whitby |translator-link2= Mary Whitby|title=The History of Theophylact Simocatta|year=1986 |orig-year=630|url=https://uodiyala.edu.iq/uploads/PDF%20ELIBRARY%20UODIYALA/EL45/The%20History%20of%20Theophylact%20Simocatta.pdf}}
* {{cite book |last1=Whitby|first1=Michael|author-link1= Michael Whitby |last2=Whitby|first2=Mary|author-link2= Mary Whitby |title=Chronicon Paschale 284-628 AD |year=1989 |url=https://cristoraul.org/BYZANTIUM/Chronicon_Paschale_284-628.pdf}}

Category:603 deaths
Category:7th-century executions by the Byzantine Empire
Category:Byzantine rebels
Category:Executed Byzantine people
Category:People executed by burning

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Crucis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Crucis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Crucis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.