Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

62 1 Political goals
Persia consistently failed to become long-term partners on the basis of a
mutually accepted international law. 32 In other words, the universal claims
on both sides hardly allowed for a peaceful coexistence. They had a tremendous
impact on how both sides handled latent conflicts; almost always the
enemy’s real or apparent weaknesses were met by an aggressive behaviour.
Over centuries the borders between Rome and Persia were contested and
military confrontations took place almost without interruption. 33
32 Grey 1973: 24–40 and Funke 1996: 225–6.
33 For an overview see Ensslin 1939: 126-37; for the period before ad 337 see Millar 1996: 127–89.