- Who Am I? -

[Diocle]

Il 'Conte dei sogni' sorry in English the infamous Dacian called Mercurius 'somniorum comes'?

We have to admit that the name sounds absolutely fantastic! It's a Novel in itself! 'The count of dreams', isn't cool?

[Renatus]

Paulus Catena!

I said it was easy. Over to you.

[Knonfoda]

I said it was easy. Over to you.

He has a fascinating character, and I've read a lot about him, so when you said about the treasons "real or imagined" I just knew it was him!

Hmmn... I'll have to think now. I'll be sure to come up with someone equally Devious.

Or not. The game begins

[Joar]

OK, it's been a while, but here's a new one. Let the guessing begin...

If the barbarians hadn't betrayed me, I could have rid Italy from the plague of the longbeards once and for all. But betrayal and heresy is everywhere. One need to find it and root it out, by any means necessary. "Too violent", they said. "Mad", they said. Their poison spread, and I was forced to leave. But the true Emperor sent me back to finish what I started, or rather to finish what others had started. But then it was too late. Now they are everywhere, the heretics and the longbeards.

[Diocle]

Plague? Rid Italy? heretics? Why did the Greeks hate us so much? Italy is our country, why the Greeks don't stay at their home?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The names are many, almost innumerable are the poor Byzzies dead trying to sack and loot Italy, but from someone we have to begin, so: Tiberius?

[Joar]

Nope. He obviously felt very high regard for his emperor...

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Hmmm interesting but alas I am floundering in ignorance here! Glad to see this is back up and running again - thanks, Joar!

[Joar]

... and his name is precious indeed.

[Gäiten]

Smaragdus?
Exarch of Ravenna (584/585 -589/590) and later 603 - 608. He (probably) had the high ( ) column of Phocas built.

[Sertorio]

I think you nailed it

From Wiki:

Smaragdus was Exarch of Ravenna twice, from 585 to 589 and from 603 to 611.

During his first tenure, Smaragdus made an alliance with the Franks and Avars against the perennial foes of the Exarchate, theLombards, and appeared poised to extinguish the Lombard power before it had been fully established. However, the effort came to nothing, for the Franks were not as serious about fighting the Lombards as Smaragdus was.^[1] One notable military achievement during his first reign was the recovery of Classis, the port of Ravenna, from the Lombards in 588.
Smaragdus was also known for his violence toward the followers of the schismatic bishops during the schism of the Three Chapters. These included Severinus, Archbishop of Aquileia and his followers, then at Grado, whom he ordered to come to Ravenna to attend a synod.^[2] When the council failed to solve any major issues, he forced the archbishop to declare his loyalty to the Orthodox creed. His violence, combined with alleged charges of insanity, prompted his removal from office in 589.
In 603 the Byzantine Emperor Phocas restored Smaragdus to his former position.^[3] Smaragdus inherited a war with the Lombards from his predecessor Callinicus, and refused to give up the daughter of the Lombard king Agilulf, as well as her husband, both of whom had been taken prisoner by the Byzantines in 601. That same year, Agilulf besieged Cremona with help of the Avars, capturing it on 21 August 605 and afterwards raising the city; next he captured Mantua on 1 September. When his army reached the fortress of Vulturina,^[4] the garrison surrendered, firing the town of Brescello as they fled. Smaragdus was forced to release his hostages in April 605 in order to gain peace.^[5] The peace with the Lombards held for the rest of his administration.
Smaragdus erected a gilded statue of Phocas on the so-called column of Phocas in the Roman Forum. After Phocas was deposed byHeraclius in 610, Smaragdus was replaced again, this time by John I Lemigius.^[6]

[Joar]

Smaragdus?
Exarch of Ravenna (584/585 -589/590) and later 603 - 608. He (probably) had the high ( ) column of Phocas built.

Correct!

[Joar]

Right, here's a new one. No text, no clues, just a portrait.

[Emperor Caesar]

Zabdas! haha that's just a guess.

[demagogos nicator]

Heraclius?

[Joar]

Nope. Clue: San Vitale...

[vikior]

Justinian?

[Diocle]

IMO the choices are two:

A damn Byzzy-banker? Iulianus Argentarius?



or Belisarius Himself?



Being the guy, in the Norse's pic, bearded, I'm for Belisarius ...

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Damn, I was going for Mundus until the San Vitale clue! I think Diocle has it!

[Joar]

Yes, it's supposed to be Belisarius. I thought that his clothes would give him away.

[Diocle]

This one is easy:

'Listen to me guys:
You all know my name for a single gesture I did,
just one day and just one single action at the right moment
and I became immortal, no matter how many enemies I killed,
no matter what I had done previously and after that day,
and how many victories and defeats I've seen in my life after that day.
So this is my suggestion for you guys:
when you decide to do something in policy, please
be sure that there is around some scribbler, historian or journalist present ... '

Edit: I repeat: it's easy ... cm'on!

Edit2: I won't give tips and solution, 'Sic memento perennis manebit!'