Editing 698 (section)

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* Spring&ndash;summer &ndash; [[Umayyad Caliphate|Arab]] forces under [[Hasan ibn al-Nu'man]] [[Battle of Carthage (698)|capture Carthage]], ending [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] rule in [[North Africa]]. The defeated [[Byzantine navy|Byzantine fleet]] revolts and proclaims [[Tiberios III]], who deposes [[Leontios]] after a brief [[siege]] of [[Constantinople]], [[List of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine Emperor]].{{sfn|Venning|2006|p=187}}{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|pp=337–339}}
* Autumn&ndash;winter &ndash; The Byzantine general [[Heraclius (brother of Tiberius III)|Heraclius]], brother of Tiberios III, crosses the mountain passes of the [[Taurus Mountains]] into [[Cilicia]] with an army. He launches a campaign in [[Syria]], defeats an Arab force from [[Antioch]], and raids as far as [[Samosata]] (modern [[Turkey]]).{{sfn|Venning|2006|p=188}}{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=339}}
* Outbreak of [[bubonic plague]] in Constantinople, Syria and Mesopotamia: [[Theophanes the Confessor]] reports that the plague lasted four months and describes a large number of deaths in Constantinople. Emperor [[Leontios]] orders the destruction of a market in the [[Neorion Harbour|Neorion]] cargo port of Constantinople, where animals are sold and which is considered to be the source of infected animals brought from Syria. The Arab army is forced to suspend its military operations. According to Syrian sources, the plague in Syria lasted another two years.