Helias, a spatharioi or imperial bodyguard, was one of Justinian II's henchmen who participated in the reign of terror that occurred in the Byzantine Empire upon the emperor's return from exile in Kherson. He later turned against Justinian when ordered to return to Constantinople to account for failure to completely obey orders. Justinian murdered his two young boys, had his wife divorced and then married to John, Helias' Ethiopian cook, who then raped her in one of the emperor's bedrooms. In 711 CE, Justinian personally charged Helias in combat, and was beheaded.
