Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

42 2 A chronological survey
on a one-year armistice, which was later extended (575–8). As Armenia was
excluded from the regulations, warfare continued. Diplomatic efforts did
not bear fruit. As a consequence Xusrō eventually invaded Mesopotamia
even before the armistice had expired. In spite of initial Persian successes in
Armenia and in the Roman part of Mesopotamia139 the Romans were able to
repel the Sasanian king, who finally sought peace. Before ambassadors could
be exchanged Xusrō I Anōˇsarvān died. His son and successor Hormizd IV
(579–90) made demands that – as Tiberius’ envoys claimed – the Romans
could not possibly meet. The state of war continued and lasted throughout
the reign of Hormizd IV, even after on the Roman side Maurice (582–602)
had become emperor. 140
Apart from the war in Mesopotamia Hormizd IV had to deal with the
Turks in the East, the Chazars141 in the North and Arab tribes in the South.
In particular the Western Turks became increasingly dangerous, similar to
the Hephthalites during the fifth century. 142 With great efforts and entirely
owing to the military genius of the Sasanian general Bahrām Čōbīn the
Western Turks were defeated and became tributary allies in 588/9. 143 Next
Bahrām Čōbīn was sent to the Southern regions of the Caucasus so that
he could fight the war against Byzantium from there. Although initially
he was victorious, he suffered a great defeat in the plains of Azerbaijan. 144
Hormizd IV accused him of cowardice and decided to dismiss him. 145 His
decision was to have far-reaching consequences for the course of Sasanian
history and Persian–Roman relations.
Bahrām Čōbīn and his troops reacted with a rebellion and were soon
supported by the Sasanian army in Mesopotamia. 146 Persia was in such
turmoil that Hormizd IV was taken captive and blinded; in the spring of
590 his son Xusrō II Parvēz (590–628) was proclaimed king. 147 His attempts
to reach an agreement with the rebels were to no avail and he fled from the
general, 148 who ascended the Sasanian throne on 9 March 590 and became
King Bahrām VI Čōbīn.149 The latter had already sent envoys to Maurice
139 Honigmann 1935: 22–3. 140 Higgins 1939: 55–70 and Whitby 1988: 250–75 and 276–304.
141 On the Chazars see Golden 1990: 256–84. 142 See Frye 1983a: 156 and Bivar 1983a: 215.
143 Tabarī, tr. Nöldeke, pp. 270–5; Bosworth 301–5 (992–4); on Bahrām Čōbīn see Shahbazi 1989:
519–22; for the confrontations with the Turks see Goubert 1951: 121–3.
144 Theoph. Simoc. iii.7; for a detailed analysis of this battle see Goubert 1951: 123–5.
145 Ibid. iii.8.1. 146 Ibid. iv.1–2.
147 For the chronology of events see Higgins 1939: 51–2; 1955: 97; in general see also Whitby 1988:
292–7.
148 Theoph. Simoc. iv.10.1–11; cf. Frendo 1989: 77–88; on Xusrō II’s escape into Roman territory see
Goubert 1949: 81–98.
149 Theoph. Simoc. iv.12.6; on the date of the crowning see Schreiner 1985: 300–1 n. 573–4 and Whitby
1988: 296.