▁he ▁was ▁experienced ▁in ▁military ▁matters . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁when ▁the ▁governor ▁( str ateg os ) ▁of ▁Sic ily , ▁Ser g ios , ▁driven ▁by ▁a ▁false ▁message ▁that ▁Constantin ople ▁had ▁fallen ▁to ▁the ▁Arab s , ▁declared ▁a ▁rival ▁em peror ▁in ▁the ▁person ▁of ▁Bas il ▁On om ag oul os , ▁Leo ▁named ▁him ▁as ▁Ser g ios ' ▁replacement ▁and ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁Sic ily ▁to ▁restore ▁control . ▁It ▁was ▁probably ▁on ▁this ▁occasion ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁patri ki os , ▁although ▁Patri arch ▁N ike ph or os ▁implies ▁that ▁he ▁already ▁held ▁the ▁title . ▁▁ ▁He ▁is ▁commonly ▁held ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁Ser g ios ▁appointed ▁as ▁Ex arch ▁of ▁R aven na ▁in ▁, ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁to ▁have ▁held ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁strateg os ▁of ▁Sic ily ▁continu ously ▁until ▁then . ▁Although ▁both ▁supp os itions ▁are ▁likely , ▁neither ▁is ▁certain . ▁If ▁the ▁identification ▁is ▁true , ▁then ▁Paul ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁an ▁Arab ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 7 2 0 / 2 1 . ▁▁ ▁As ▁ex arch , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁resistance ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁inhabitants , ▁led ▁by ▁Pope ▁Gregory ▁II , ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁tax ation ▁demanded ▁by ▁Leo . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Liber ▁Pont ific alis , ▁the ▁Emperor ▁ordered ▁Paul ▁to ▁either ▁kill ▁or ▁imprison ▁the ▁Pope , ▁but ▁both ▁failed ▁and ▁led