Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

Yezdigird III.
CHAPTER XLIII
THE OVERTHROW OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE BY THE ARABS
Whatever thou hast said regarding the former condition of the Arabs, is
true. Their food was green lizards ; they buried their infant daughters alive ;
nay, some of them feasted on dead carcasses, and drank blood. . . . Such was'
our state. But God, in his mercy, has sent us, by a holy prophet, a sacred
volume, which teaches us the true hith.—T/ie Arab Ambassadors'' Address to
Yezdigird III.
The Accession of Kobad II. and the Peace with RomCy
A.D. 628.— Siroes, known as Kobad IL, succeeded to the
throne and was proclaimed king upon the deposition of
his father. His first act was to make peace with Herac-
lius, and the letter he wrote has been preserved, together
with the purport of the Emperor's reply.
It was clear to
both monarchs that the war was inflicting
terrible harm
on their respective states, and as Heraclius had only
fought his brilliant campaigns in pursuance of a policy of
active defence, he was quite ready to meet the views of
Kobad, Peace was concluded on the terms that all conquests
and prisoners should be surrendered by both
belligerents. Among the conditions was included the
surrender of the True Cross, which Heraclius in person
restored to its shrine in Jerusalem amid scenes of great
rejoicing.
The Massacre of his Brothers and his Death^ a.d. 629.
—Kobad II. had inaugurated his reign by a remission of
taxes and by a release of prisoners. He also sought out
the victims of his father's injustice and compensated
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