Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

2.5 The seventh century 49
Constantly in flight and in search for allies who would assist him against
the Arab invaders he finally came to Merv where he was assassinated in 651.
The death of this last member of the Sasanian dynasty marks the official
end of the history of the Sasanian Empire, which in fact had already ceased
to exist after the battle at Nihāvand. 189
Although the Romans celebrated a triumphant success when the Holy
Cross was restored in Jerusalem in March 628, 190 the continuous struggle
with Persia had taken its toll. Soon after the Romans had re-conquered Syria,
Palestine and Egypt, these territories were lost once more, this time to the
Arabs. After a significant battle at the river Yarmūk in August 636 Syria fell
into Arab hands. 191 The conquerors had already taken Damascus in 635, and
in 637 Jerusalem fell. After the Persian defeat at Qādisīya the Arabs occupied
the Roman possessions in Mesopotamia in order to attack Armenia from
there. In 639 they finally attacked Egypt, which was conquered by 646. The
most important Eastern provinces of the Byzantine Empire had thus fallen
under Arab rule. 192 The Arab conquest reveals yet once more the historical
significance of the struggle between the Romans and Persians for hegemony
in the Near and Middle East: no doubt the exhausting confrontations
between West and East had fostered the Islamic expansion. 193
189 See Tyler-Smith 2000: 135–70.
190 Grumel 1967: 139–49; Whitby 1998: 247–73; on the date of this restoration see Speck 2000: 167–79.
191 On the battle see Kaegi 1992: 112–46; on Syria during this period see Foss 1997: 189–269.
192 Stratos 1972: 40–62; Donner 1981 and 1995: 337–60; Kaegi 1992.
193 Zakynthinos 1979: 64–5; Kaegi 1992.