Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

2.5 The seventh century 45
Persian power – led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire and which brought
on dramatic changes that involved the entire Middle East. 163
At first Xusrō II was determined to exploit the desolate situation within
the Byzantine Empire and to expand the borders of his kingdom. Certainly
favoured by the rebellion of the powerful Roman general Narsēs 164 the
Persian army began an almost unstoppable advance to the West. Within
five years the entire Eastern part of the Byzantine Empire fell into Persian
hands (15). 165 The difficult situation within the Byzantine Empire, which
continued after Phocas’ downfall in 610, forms the background to a letter
written by the Senate of Constantinople to Xusrō II in the year 615. In this
letter the ‘King of kings’ is asked to recognise the new emperor Heraclius
(610–41) 166 as his ‘legitimate child’. In turn, the emperor would honour him
as a father deserved. 167 This is not the only example of a Byzantine emperor
willing to pay a childlike respect to a foreign ruler. 168 At this point, however,
Xusrō II was no longer prepared to abandon his plans of an expansion in
the West. When Alexandria fell and Egypt was lost in the year 619 169 the
Romans were altogether in a hopeless situation. In contrast, Persia was at
the height of its power.
But the Romans recovered quickly. Internal developments helped the
emperor to consolidate his position as well as to strengthen the empire’s
military force. 170 Moreover, after the fall of Jerusalem in 614 171 the Church
supported Heraclius by offering its riches to help in his war against the
Persians. Heraclius agreed to make high payments to the Avars and thereby
managed to conclude a temporary peace (620) with them. His success
marked a turning-point that eventually led to the final defeat and fall of
the Sasanian kingdom.
On the day after Easter 622 Heraclius and his army left Constantinople
in order to re-conquer the lost territories. 172 At the beginning of the year
623 the two armies clashed for the first time. The Persian general ˇ Sahrbarāz
suffered a crushing defeat. As a consequence, Asia Minor was liberated from
Sasanian rule. The victory boosted the morale of the Roman troops and had
the Avars not broken the peace agreement they would have advanced even
163 The most comprehensive account can be found in Stratos 1968: 103–17; cf. also Frendo 1995: 209–14.
164 See Stratos 1968: 59–60.
165 See Foss 1975: 721–47; Morony 1987: 87–95; Russell 2001: 41–71; Foss 2003: 149–70.
166 On this emperor see Reining and Stolte 2002; Kaegi 2003.
167 Chr. Pasch. a. 615.
168 See Dölger 1964: 61 n. 63.
169 See ch. 3 n. 219 below for references.
170 Ostrogorsky 1963: 77–91; Stratos 1968: 257–82; Garsoïan 1983: 588–92.
171 Clermont-Ganneau 1898: 36–54 and Wheeler 1991: 69–85.
172 Oikonomidès 1976: 1–9.