Speaking as someone with real experience of fighting the Arabs (also, hi granddad!), I think we need to be more careful about both your language and your strategy. As you know very well, many Arabs had served the Roman state well in our illustrious history and although we allow many of our servants to wax lyrical about their barbarous nature, as the true rulers of the world we need to recognise reality for what it is. Throughout my long and largely successful reign I had to repeatedly send envoys to the Arabs, it would not do to blindly condemn them without recognising their capabilities. We are emperors of Rome after all, not tyrants of Greece.
But onto strategy. You have just emerged from a brutal war with Persia and it is impossible for you to launch a new offensive anywhere anytime soon. Trust me, I know what it is like to be powerless.1 The best thing you can do is to reconsolidate your empire the best you can and to maintain internal peace, just as I did in the chaos of the 650s. Without stability and wealth you cannot defend our divine empire. Remember that we must continue to pay our Arab auxiliaries despite the massive budget deficit, for they are our first line of defence and it is imperative
When the storm comes, I am told that their loyalties were less than adequate
There are of course many good things to look forward to as well. The restoration of the True Cross is a story I've often been told about and I can only imagine how glorious it was to be the one to restore it to Jerusalem. I also know about your exploits to reunify the Chalcedonian and miaphysite churches, which I gather even persuaded a few of the Persian 'Nestorians' to rejoin the imperial church. This is an eminently sensible policy and I urge you to keep at it, even if troublemakers such as Sophronius of Jerusalem refuse to give in - you are the emperor of the Christian commonwealth and your word is law.2 Indeed, God has punished us for their sins - had these traitorous monks been more loyal, God would not have sent us a plague during our darkest hour and would have granted us victories at the Battle of Gabitha. Alas, it was not to be, but I urge y
Around 650 I inherited an empire with revolts in North Africa and Italy, Slavs in the Balkans, and treacherous generals plotting my death at every turn. It wasn't fun.
Sophronius' disciple, Maximus the Confessor, would later preach rebellion against me. It is best to nip the problem in the bud I think!