Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

100 3 Military confrontations
3.4 the sixth century: the sasanians renew their
expansionist policy in the west
12: The first Sasanian–Byzantine War (502–32)
The first major Byzantine–Sasanian confrontation of the sixth century
began in the late summer of 502 when the Persian king Kavādh I invaded
the Roman possessions in Armenia. 122 Although initially the Persians were
rather successful and captured the important city of Amida (503), 123 they
found themselves more and more in a defensive position. 124
Kavādh I had no choice but to seek peace negotiations, which in the year
506 led to a first, temporary truce. 125 This, however, did not end the existing
tensions, particularly since the Arab allies on both sides continued to raid
enemy territory (25). 126 It is also remarkable that while the peace negotiations
were still going on the Romans introduced measures to improve the
protection of their borders, which had to provoke Sasanian suspicion. The
following two passages talk about the most significant Roman initiative in
this context, namely the fortification of Dārā, which during the course of
the sixth century became one of the most important and most contested
border cities in Mesopotamia.
Joshua the Stylite 90 (309.12–310.3)
The year 817 (= ad 505/6). The leaders of the Roman army informed the emperor
that the troops were being greatly harmed because they did not possess a city
located on the frontier. For whenever the Romans made a sortie from Tella or from
Amida to make a sweep against raiders in the Arab, they were in constant fear
wherever they camped of the deceit of enemies. And, again, if they happened to
encounter forces which outnumbered them, and they determined to retreat, they
had to endure great fatigue since there was no city nearby in which to seek shelter.
And because of this the emperor commanded that a wall should be built for the
town of Dārā which is situated on the frontier. Stonemasons were selected from
all Syria, and they went down there and were building it. The Persians, however,
were making sorties from Nisibis and disrupting their work. On account of this
122 For a detailed account of the outbreak of this war and the course of events until 506 see Ios. Styl.
48–101; for a commentary and analysis see Luther 1997: 177–203; Watt 2000: 50–119.
123 For an account of the siege of Amida see Proc. BP i.7.5–35; cf. also Theoph. Chron. 5996–7 (for an
English translation see Greatrex and Lieu 2002: 67–8), Ios. Styl. 50–3 and the Syrian chronicle of
Zacharias Rhetor (vii.3–5; for an English translation of 4–5 see Greatrex and Lieu 2002: 68).
124 On the course of events see Greatrex 1998.
125 Ios. Styl. 71–3; 75–7; 80–2; cf. also Luther 1997: 206–7 and Greatrex 1998: 114–15.
126 The Romans as well as the Persians punished the Arab tribes for these activities, which amounted
to a breach of the recent truce; cf. Ios. Styl. 88.