Ioannes 7 was a patrikios; he was a capable man who, because he had experience of warfare against the Arabs, was given command of the expedition sent by the emperor Leontios 2 to Africa to recover Carthage from them (στρατηγόν τε ἐπ' αὐτοῖς Ἰωάννην τὸν πατρίκιον ὡς ἔμπειρον τῶν πολεμίων προχειρισάμενος: Nic. Brev. de Boor 39, Mango 41:4-6; τὸν πατρίκιον Ἰωάννην, ἄνδρα ἱκανόν: Theoph. AM 6190); he defeated the Arabs, recovered Carthage and all the other cities and towns and placed garrisons in them, and then wintered in Africa; the caliph (`Abdulmalik 1) then sent a much larger force against him and he was defeated and forced to leave Africa together with his surviving troops; according to Theophanes he wanted the emperor to raise a larger force with which to retake Africa; on the way back the expedition stopped in Crete where, allegedly afraid to face the emperor, Ioannes 7 revolted, with the support of his officers and men, and Apsimar (Tiberios 2) was proclaimed emperor: Nic. Brev. de Boor 39, Mango 41, Theoph. AM 6190 (the army revolted, inspired by its leaders; Ioannes 7 is not specifically named), Zon. XIV 23. 2-5 (not specifically named in connection with the revolt in Crete). Leontios 2 was overthrown in 698; since Ioannes 7 wintered in Africa his expedition was sent in 697 and was defeated in 698.

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