Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

2.5 The seventh century 47
king escaped to Ktēsiphōn whereas Heraclius took Dastagird and set up
his camp for the winter at the river Narbas. He did not attempt to attack
Ktēsiphōn because of its strong fortifications. 178
Internal developments in Persia rather than military confrontation ended
the struggle. 179 Xusrō II summoned all his generals in order to search for
those who could be held responsible for the defeat at Niniveh. Provoked by
fear, the generals revolted against Xusrō II Parvēz (590–628) and appointed
his son Kavādh II ˇ Sērōē as the new ruler. They were supported by the
nobility, whom Xusrō II had alienated more and more during his long
reign. Moreover, his subjects had lost respect for the king when he took
flight from Heraclius. All these factors contributed to Xusrō’s downfall. On
25 February 628 Kavādh II ˇ Sērōē was proclaimed king and soon after his
father was imprisoned and executed.
With regard to its external affairs, Persia was now in an entirely defensive
position. Kavādh II and Heraclius concluded a peace (21) according to
which the Persians were to give up the Roman territories of Armenia and
the western part of Mesopotamia in the same year, Syria, Palestine and
Egypt in the following year. The return and restoration of the Holy Cross
in March of 628180 symbolised the final victory of the West over the East
and established a motif that would become notorious in the religious wars
of later ages.
When Kavādh II ˇ Sērōē died during the first year of his reign (628)
the Sasanian Empire started to disintegrate internally. 181 Kavādh’s son and
successor Ardaˇsīr III (628–30) was still under age, and so ˇ Sahrbarāz, who
had been a powerful general during the reign of Xusrō II, sought power.
He killed Ardaˇsīr and proclaimed himself king (630). Apparently Heraclius
supported his activities by putting soldiers at his disposal. 182 The emperor’s
behaviour thus forms a stark contrast with Maurice’s earlier reaction to
Bahrām Čōbīn’s claims against Xusrō II Parvēz. Heraclius was not interested
in a legitimate succession but in exploiting Persia’s internal difficulties, that
is to make sure that his opponent would be weakened for as long as possible.
Along with this attitude the direct relations between Romans and Persians
ended because in both empires internal matters shifted to the foreground.
As far as external matters are concerned, both were soon confronted with
the onslaught of the Muslim conquerors. 183
178 Minorsky 1943–6: 243–65.
179 For the events in the Sasanian Empire see Christensen 1944: 497–509 and Frye 1983a: 170–2.
180 Cf. Baynes 1912: 287–99. 181 On this process see Schippmann 1990: 72–7.
182 Nöldeke 1883: 31. 183 Cf. Fiey 1987: 96–103.