▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁re bel led ▁against ▁the ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁Maurice ▁( r . ▁ 5 8 2 – 6 0 2 ). ▁The ▁main ▁source ▁about ▁him ▁is ▁John ▁of ▁N iki û . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Ab ask ir on ▁was ▁reported ly ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁A yk il ah ▁( Z aw i ya ), ▁a ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁in ▁Egypt . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁a ▁wealth y ▁family , ▁the ▁el dest ▁of ▁three ▁brothers . ▁His ▁younger ▁brothers ▁were ▁Men as ▁and ▁I ac ob us ▁( Jac ob , ▁James ). ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁son , ▁Isaac . ▁ ▁Ab ask ir on ▁is ▁first ▁mentioned ▁as ▁a ▁scri be . ▁He ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁sch ol astic ▁( school man ) ▁and / or ▁grammar ian . ▁John , ▁the ▁pra ef ect us ▁august alis ▁( August al ▁Pref ect , ▁governor ▁of ▁Egypt ) ▁appointed ▁Ab ask ir on , ▁Men as , ▁I ac ob us ▁and ▁Isaac ▁as ▁over se ers ▁over ▁areas ▁of ▁Egypt . ▁They ▁used ▁their ▁position ▁to ▁perform ▁una ut hor ized ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁local ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁Blue ▁fa ction ▁of ▁Ch ari ot ▁racing , ▁going ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁s ack ing ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁B ana ▁and ▁B ous ir . ▁They ▁set ▁fire ▁on ▁the ▁Ther ma e ▁of ▁B ous ir . ▁