Imperial Mutilation Practice

Also known as Byzantine mutilation

Concept

A Byzantine political practice of mutilating imperial rivals to disqualify them from the throne without the sin of killing imperial blood. Methods included tongue amputation (Martina), nose amputation (Heracleonas, Justinian II - hence 'Rhinotmetus'), eye removal, tongue removal, and castration for ecclesiastical disqualification. The practice was applied to deposed emperors, their families, and conspirators against the throne.

Type: Concept
First appears: Book 1 · Ch. 210
Books: 1

Evolution

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)
A Byzantine political practice of mutilating imperial rivals to disqualify them from the throne without the sin of killing imperial blood. Methods included tongue amputation (Martina), nose amputation (Heracleonas, Justinian II - hence 'Rhinotmetus'), eye removal, tongue removal, and castration for ecclesiastical disqualification. The practice was applied to deposed emperors, their families, and conspirators against the throne.