Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

98 3 Military confrontations
century founded a powerful empire in so-called ‘Scythian Mesopotamia’,
between Amu-Darja and Syr-Darja. Procopius points to the non-nomadic
lifestyle of the Hephthalites and their political organisation, which distinguished
them from the other Hunnic tribes. During the fifth century the
Hephthalites were the most dangerous enemy of the Sasanians and forced
them to exert all their energies in the East.
Although both Bahrām V Gōr and Yazdgard II had to deal repeatedly
with the Hephthalites, they eventually succeeded in fending off their
attacks. 109 In the course of these confrontations Yazdgard II suffered numerous
defeats between 443 and 450. When after his death in 457 his sons
contended for the Persian throne, one of them, Pērōz secured his rule
with the help of the Hephthalites. However, this alliance did not last very
long. Almost the entire reign of Pērōz was also characterised by fighting
with the Hephthalites and by crushing Sasanian defeats. 110 A first phase of
confrontations was ended around 469 by a humiliating peace. The Hephthalites
held Pērōz’ son Kavādh hostage until the Persians offered a high
ransom. According to the chronicle of Josua the Stylite the Roman emperor
was among those who supported the Persians by contributing money to
the war against the Hephthalites. 111
At the beginning of the 480s Pērōz took up fighting against the Hephthalites
in breech of the existing agreements; in 484 the Sasanians suffered
yet another crushing defeat and Pērōz met his death in what is now
Afghanistan. 112 As a consequence of this military catastrophe the Hephthalites
advanced into Eastern Iran, demanded annual tributary payments
and intervened repeatedly in the internal affairs of the Persian Empire.
11: The Sasanian monarchy loses and regains power
Procopius, De bello Persico i.5.1–3
(1) As time went on, Kavādh ruled by force more than before and he introduced
innovations into the constitution; among these there was a law which he drafted
and according to which the Persians were to have intercourse with their women
on a communal basis – a measure that the majority of the population very much
disliked. Because of this they revolted against him, removed him from the throne
and held him as a chained prisoner. (2) They chose as their king Balāˇs, the brother
of Pērōz, because, as I mentioned, no male offspring of Pērōz was left any more,
109 On these confrontations see Frye 1983a: 143–52 and Luther 1997: 110–24.
110 Proc. BP i.3.8–i.4.35.
111 Ios. Styl. 9–10; for English translations of this passage see Watt 2000 and Greatrex and Lieu 2002:
59.
112 Ios. Styl. 11; on the background and course of events see Luther 1997: 116–24.