Editing Justinian II (section)

==Exile==
While in exile, Justinian began to plot and gather supporters for an attempt to retake the throne.<ref name="Ostrogorsky, pp. 124-126">{{harvnb|Ostrogorsky|1956|pp=124–126}}</ref>  Justinian became a liability to Cherson and the authorities decided to return him to Constantinople in 702 or 703.<ref name="Moore, Justinian II" />  He escaped from Cherson and received help from [[Busir]], the [[khagan]] of the [[Khazars]], who received him enthusiastically and gave him his sister as a bride.<ref name="Ostrogorsky, pp. 124-126"/>  Justinian renamed her [[Theodora of Khazaria|Theodora]], after the wife of [[Justinian I]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1889|p=358}}</ref>  They were given a home in the town of [[Phanagoria]], at the entrance to the sea of Azov. Busir was offered a bribe by Tiberius to kill his brother-in-law, and dispatched two Khazar officials, [[Papatzys]] and [[Balgitzin]], to do the deed.<ref name="Bury, p. 359">{{harvnb|Bury|1889|p=359}}</ref>  Warned by his wife, Justinian executed Papatzys and Balgitzin. He sailed in a fishing boat to [[Cherson (theme)|Cherson]], summoned his supporters, and they all sailed westwards across the [[Black Sea]].<ref name="Norwich, p. 336">{{harvnb|Norwich|1990|p=336}}</ref>

As the ship bearing Justinian sailed along the northern coast of the Black Sea, he and his crew became caught up in a storm somewhere between the mouths of the [[Dniester]] and the [[Dnieper River]]s.<ref name="Bury, p. 359" />  While it was raging, one of his companions reached out to Justinian saying that if he promised God that he would be magnanimous, and not seek revenge on his enemies when he was returned to the throne, they would all be spared.<ref name="Norwich, p. 336" /> Justinian retorted: "If I spare a single one of them, may God drown me here".<ref name="Bury, p. 359" />

Having survived the storm, Justinian next approached [[Tervel of Bulgaria]].<ref name="Norwich, p. 336" /> Tervel agreed to provide all the military assistance necessary for Justinian to regain his throne in exchange for financial considerations, the award of a ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]''<nowiki/>'s crown, and the hand of Justinian's daughter, Anastasia, in marriage.<ref name="Ostrogorsky, pp. 124-126"/>  In spring 705, with an army of 15,000 Bulgar and Slav horsemen, Justinian appeared before the walls of [[Constantinople]].<ref name="Ostrogorsky, pp. 124-126"/>  For three days, Justinian tried to convince the citizens of Constantinople to open the gates, but to no avail.<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1889|p=360}}</ref>  Unable to take the city by force, he and some companions entered through an unused [[aqueduct (watercourse)|water conduit]] under the walls of the city, roused their supporters, and seized control of the city in a midnight coup d'état.<ref name="Ostrogorsky, pp. 124-126"/>  On 21 August,<ref name="Tombs"/> Justinian regained the throne, breaking the tradition preventing the mutilated from Imperial rule. After tracking down his predecessors, he had his rivals Leontius and Tiberius brought before him in chains in the [[Hippodrome]].  There, before a jeering populace, Justinian, now wearing a golden nasal prosthesis,<ref name="Norwich, p. 345">{{harvnb|Norwich|1990|p=345}}</ref> placed his feet on the necks of Tiberius and Leontius in a symbolic gesture of subjugation before ordering their execution by beheading, followed by many of their partisans,<ref name="Bury, p. 361">{{harvnb|Bury|1889|p=361}}</ref> as well as deposing, blinding and exiling [[Callinicus I of Constantinople|Patriarch Callinicus I]] to [[Rome]].<ref>Norwich, p. 338</ref>