True Cross Returns: Heraclius Restores Jerusalem's Holy Relic
Emperor Heraclius marched into Jerusalem to reclaim the True Cross, a relic stolen by the Sassanid Persians during their conquest of the city. This triumphant return solidified Byzantine authority in the Holy Land and triggered a wave of Christian pilgrimage that reshaped the region's religious landscape for centuries.
March 21, 630
1396 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on March 21
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She was the richest woman in Europe, and Louis VII just handed her back. The annulment freed Eleanor of Aquitaine from France's king—along with her entire duchy…
He was two years old. Emperor Antoku became Japan's 81st emperor after his grandfather, the ruthless Taira no Kiyomori, forced his father to abdicate in a power…
He was two years old when they placed the imperial regalia in his infant hands and declared him Japan's 81st emperor. Antoku didn't choose the Taira clan's desp…
He was six years old. When Emperor Antoku ascended Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne in 1188, the Taira clan thought they'd secured their grip on power through this …
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