The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

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EVAGRIUS
gained entry over this, and captured the fortress by force. 60 As a result,
the Persians thereafter despaired of the situation at Martyropolis.
16 While these matters were in progress the Persians made away with
Hormisdas, who had been the most wicked of kings since he penalized
his subjects not only with ¢nes but with diverse types of death. 61
17 After him they installed as king his son Chosroes, against whom
Varam campaigned with his men. Chosroes confronted him with [234] an
insu⁄cient force and £ed as he saw his own men deserting. 62 He arrived
at Circesium after calling, as he himself says, upon the God of the Christians
that his horse should set o¡ for wherever it might be directed by
Him. He arrived together with his wives and two newly born children and
certain Persian noblemen, who had voluntarily accompanied him; from
there he sent an embassy to the emperor Maurice. 63 The latter, devising
the most excellent plan even in this matter, and from this taking the
measure of the uncertainty and changeability of life and the sudden variations
and about-turns of human existence, accepted the petition and
made him a guest instead of a fugitive, and a son instead of a runaway, by
60 Cf. n. 57 above; the fort had probably been captured once before by the Romans, in
583, when they slighted the forti¢cations, and was perhaps then recovered by the Persians
during the Roman mutiny in 588.
61 For Hormizd’s bad reputation, cf. Theophylact iii.17.1; Tabari, pp. 267¡; Anon. Guidi
1. In the late autumn and winter of 589, Hormizd had tried to organize forces to oppose
Vahram in northern Mesopotamia, but these troops also went over to the rebels. In early
February there were disturbances in Ctesiphon, and prisoners were released from the
gaols, including Vindoe, a maternal uncle of Khusro II. On 6 February Vindoe forcibly
removed Hormizd from the throne and denounced the king’s avarice, violence and injustice:
Theophylact iv.2.5^4.18, and for discussion, see Whitby, Maurice 292^5.
62 Khusro II was crowned on 15 February, and had to confront Vahram, who maintained
his rebellion in spite of the change of monarch, outside Ctesiphon on 20 February;
there was a night battle on 28 February, and Khusro £ed the next day. Narrative in Theophylact
iv.7.1^9.11.
63 The story of Khusro’s appeal to the Christian God is also recorded in Theophylact
iv.10.2^3. In the desperate circumstances of Khusro’s £ight, such indecision is unlikely,
and there are indications that Khusro had been making preparations to approach the
Romans, since he attempted to persuade the Nestorian Catholicus to accompany him; see
Whitby, Maurice 295^7. The most prominent nobles to follow him into exile were his maternal
uncles, Vistam and Vindoe, although the latter permitted himself to be captured in
order to delay the close pursuit by Vahram’s men. At Circesium, Khusro was welcomed by
the Roman commander Probus, who reported developments to Comentiolus at Hierapolis,
and then to Maurice.