The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

264
EVAGRIUS
ill-treatment from the Persians, and particularly as concerned their own
belief, they secretly sent an embassy to Justin to beg to become subjects
of the Romans, so that they might without fear perform their honours
to God, with nobody being an impediment to them. 27 After Justin
admitted them, and certain matters had been agreed in letters by the
emperor and con¢rmed by solemn oaths, the Armenians murdered their
rulers and en masse attached themselves to the Roman realm, together
with their neighbours, both kinsmen and those of di¡erent race, with
whom they were allied; Vardanes was pre-eminent among them in birth
and reputation and military experience. 28 Then, when Chosroes made
representations about these, Justin sent to him saying that the peace had
been terminated, and that he was unable to turn away Christians who
had £ed to Christians in time of war. This was his reply. 29 Nevertheless
that the Romans would no longer help the Armenians against the Persians. A more permanent
division into spheres of in£uence was achieved by Theodosius I in 387, when the
Romans and Persians annexed the territories of the brothers Arsaces and Tigranes, who
were rival claimants to the throne; whether Evagrius has deliberately transferred responsibility
from the orthodox Theodosius to the pagan Philip is questionable.
27 The complaints of the Armenian Christians about religious persecution are recorded
in John of Ephesus, EH ii.20. They claimed that Khusro had been inspired by the magi to
impose a single religion throughout his kingdom, which would have contravened the guarantee
of religious freedom in the 50 Years Peace of 561/2, and their fears appeared to be
corroborated by the determination of the local marzban (the Persian governor) to construct
a ¢re temple. Although the Armenians were Monophysites, they received communion from
the Chalcedonian patriarch at Constantinople until they were reproached by some of their
fellow countrymen; thereafter they withdrew to worship by themselves (John of Ephesus,
EH ii.23).
28 The Armenians murdered the marzban, Suren, in February 572. It is not known what
guarantees Justin had provided, but he may have promised military help, and it is perhaps
no coincidence that the patrician Justinian was already at Theodosiopolis, near the frontier,
at the time of the revolt. Among the neighbouring Caucasian tribes, the Colchians, Abasgi
and Alans supported the Armenians in the subsequent ¢ghting. Vardan, son of Vasak, belonged
to the noble house of the Mamikonians (PLRE III.1365); his grandfather, also called
Vardan, had been the governor of Armenia in the early sixth century.
29 The embassy, conducted by the Persian Christian Sebukht, is described in Menander
fr. 16.1. Khusro, in spite of the Armenian revolt and Roman support for the rebels, preferred
to ignore the breakdown of the peace and sent Sebukht to collect the annual payment due
under the terms of the 50 Years Peace; Justin, whose Roman pride made him reluctant to
pay money to foreigners, was also encouraged to oppose the Persians by the prospect of an
alliance with the Turks of Central Asia, so that a co-ordinated attack could be launched
against di¡erent frontiers. Justin had two minor grievances to advance as proof that the
Persians had already broken the peace: there had been an attempt to interfere with the