In 695 AD, the Byzantine Empire faced a crisis that looked like a coup—but felt like a ritual. Emperor Justinian II had ruled with intelligence and ambition, but also with a reputation for harshness that bred enemies. After military setbacks and growing resentment in Constantinople, a revolt overthrew him. The new strongman, Leontius, didn’t simply kill the emperor. He used a method Byzantines understood as both punishment and political logic: mutilation. Justinian was reportedly taken to the Hi