Editing 610 (section)

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[October 4]] &ndash; [[Heraclian revolt]]: [[Heraclius]] arrives with a fleet from [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]] at [[Constantinople]]. Assisted by an [[Rebellion|uprising]] in the capital, he overthrows and personally beheads Emperor [[Phocas]]. Heraclius gains the [[throne]] with help from his father [[Heraclius the Elder]]. His first major act is to change the official language of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] from [[Latin]] to [[Medieval Greek|Greek]] (already the language of the vast majority of the population). Because of this, after AD 610, the Empire is customarily referred to as the [[Byzantine Empire]] (the term Byzantine is a modern term invented by historians in the 18th century; the people of the Empire itself always referred to themselves as "Ρωμαῖος" — tr. ''Rōmaios'', Roman).