 | This article includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Basil Onomagoulos (Greek:Βασίλειος Ὀνομάγουλος) was aByzantine official who was declared rival emperor inSicily in 717, taking theregnal nameTiberius.
Basil was fromConstantinople, the son of a certain Gregory Onomagoulos. In 717 he was a member of the entourage of Sergius, the Byzantine governor ofSicily, when news arrived to the island of the fall of Constantinople, the Byzantine imperial capital, to anArab siege. At this point Sergius declared Basil as emperor, taking the name Tiberius. The EmperorLeo III the Isaurian (r. 717–741) however quickly dispatched achartoularios namedPaul, whom he namedpatrikios andstrategos of Sicily, with a few men and imperial instructions for the army. On his arrival, the people ofSyracuse and the army surrendered the rebels. Basil and his head general were beheaded and their heads sent to the emperor, while the other rebels weretonsured ormutilated and exiled. Sergius himself managed to escape to theLombards in mainland Italy, and returned only after he received guarantees that no harm would befall him.