Bonakis Bonakis ( died 609 ) was a Byzantine military commander , active in Cyrenaica ( Libya ) and Egypt . His name is occasionally rendered " " Konakis " " . He joined the revolt of Heraclius against the emperor Phocas ( r . 602 - 610 ) . He was killed in the subsequent conflict . The main source about him is John of Nikiû , the relevant text only surviving in Ethiopian translation . Biography . Bonakis is first mentioned in 609 . He was sent by Heraclius to the Pentapolis of Cyrenaica , leading an army consisting of 3 , 000 Roman ( Byzantine ) troops and an unknown number of barbarians . His forces joined those of Nicetas . Bonakis , Nicetas and Leontius joined forces to capture the town of Kabsain / Kabsen . John of Nikiû reports : " Heraclius , who distributed large sums of money among the barbarians of Tripolis and Pentapolis , and thereby prevailed on them to help him in the war . Next he summoned the captain of his forces , named Bonakis , with 3 , 000 men , and a large number of barbarians , and dispatched them to Pentapolis to wait for him there . And he sent likewise Nicetas , the son of Gregory , with large subsidies to the prefect Leontius , who had been appointed to the province of Mareotis by Phocas . . . And Bonakis , the chief ( captain ) of Heraclius , ( set out ) and he saw Nicetas in Pentapolis as Heraclius had commanded . And he indeed had received troops from Leontius , who had been sent to the province of the Mareotis , and he had proceeded towards Nubia in Africa ( ? ) . Now the prefect Leontius had come to terms with them . And when they had met the garrison of the city of Kabsen , they entered but did no violence to the garrison . And they set free all the prisoners that they might join them in the war . And before they entered , they had prevailed on the inhabitants of the city to precede them ( and ) stir up a tumult on the river , named Pidrakon , that is , the Dragon , which flows close to the great city of Alexandria on the west . " Their combined forces marched towards Alexandria next . They were able to defeat the forces loyal to Phocas , kill their unnamed commander and capture the city . The narrative continues : " And when they had entered , they found the Balalun , the governor of Alexandria , with a large force of Egyptians arrayed with weapons of war . And they said to him : ' Hearken to our words and flee from us and preserve thy dignity , and remain neutral till thou seest the side which is victorious ; and no calamity shall befall thee , and subsequently thou shalt become the Administrator of Egypt ; for behold the days of Phocas are at an end . ' But he refused to comply with this proposal and said : ' We will fight for the emperor unto death . ' And when they engaged [ in battle ] they slew this misguided man , and cut off his head , and suspending it on a lance they carried it into the city . And not only none could withstand them , but many joined their ranks . " Bonakis was able to assemble his troops in Alexandria and secure control of the fleet at the nearby island of Pharos . He took control of Lower Egypt for Heraclius , with little further opposition . " And he [ Bonakis ] sent for his own troops and soldiers , and he sent likewise to Pharos , and had the soldiers who were in the fleet arrested and kept under a close guard . And information was subsequently brought to Bonosus in the city of Caesarea in Palestine that ( the rebels ) had captured the city of Alexandria and slain the Apulon , and that the inhabitants of that city hated him and were attached to Heraclius . Now previously to the arrival of Bonosus in Egypt , Bonakis met with no reverse , but gained the mastery over all the prefects in Egypt . . . . And all the people rejoiced because of the revolt against Phocas . And all the inhabitants of Nakius and the bishop Theodore and all the cities of Egypt joined the revolt . But Paul the prefect of the city of Samnud alone did not join it . He was one of the prefects appointed by Phocas , and he was beloved by all the inhabitants of the city . " The arrival of general Bonosus , at the head of forces loyal to Phocas , caused Bonakis to retreat from Alexandria . He first retreated towards Nikiû . He then chose to attack Bonosus and Paul in the vicinity of Manuf ( a local fortress ) . Bonakis lost the battle . He was captured by his enemies and killed . While this was a setback for Heraclius ' revolt , said revolt continued until the deposition of Phocas in 610 . John concludes : " They had heard news of Bonosus to the effect that he had arrived at the city of Bikuran . And when the party of Plato heard this news , they sent a dispatch to Bonakis in Alexandria to this effect : ' Hasten hither with thy forces ; for Bonosus has arrived in the city of Farma . ' And when Bonakis had reached Nakius , Bonosus likewise had already arrived at the city of Athrib , where he found Marcian ' s troops ready for war . Christodora also , the sister of Aillus ( sic ) , and the troops of Cosmas the son of Samuel ( were already there ) by land . And he marched to the small branch of the river which proceeds from the main branch , and met with the prefect Paul and his troops . Then Bonakis came to attack Bonosus , and they engaged on the east of the city of Manuf . And in the engagement the forces of Cosmas the son of Samuel prevailed and drove those of Bonakis into the river , and they took Bonakis prisoner and slew him . And Leontius the general and Kudis they put to the sword , and they surrounded a large body of troops , and took them prisoners and threw them into chains . And when Plato and Theodore saw that Bonakis and his men had been slain , they fled to a convent and concealed themselves . "