Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

122 4 The diplomatic solutions
homage to the mounted Sasanian king and offering peace. 12 On another
rock relief at Dārābgerd 13 a shallow rectangular object decorated with a
ribbon is depicted in ˇ Sāpūr’s right hand, which may be indicating that
the Roman emperor has offered the Persian king an agreement, a draft
of which ˇ Sāpūr is holding in his hands. 14 Regardless of any specific interpretation,
there is no doubt that ˇ Sāpūr concluded a glorious peace with
Rome.
17: The peace treaty of 298 15 between Diocletian and Narsē
Our main source for the peace treaty of 298 is the account of Peter the
Patrician (c. 500–64). 16 In fact, regarding Roman–Sasanian relations in the
third century the narrative of this Byzantine historian is the only testimony
that provides us with details about the provisions of this agreement. 17 Most
likely the author had access to archival material and was thus well informed
of the diplomatic procedures in the year 298. Nevertheless we must bear
in mind that his account is not a copy of the actual agreement but at best
a commentary. The specific terms can only be reconstructed through a
careful comparison with other sources. These, however, are extremely brief
and in contrast to Peter the Patrician yield little information. 18 Moreover,
Peter’s elaborate narrative gives fascinating insight into the diplomatic relations
between Rome and the Persian Empire towards the end of the third
century. 19
Peter the Patrician, frg. 13–14
(13) As Apharbān, who was a very close friend of the Persian king Narsē, had been
sent as ambassador, he approached Galerius in supplication. When he had the
opportunity to speak he said, ‘It is obvious for all mankind that the Roman and
the Persian Empires are just like two lamps; and it is necessary that, like eyes, the
one is brightened by the light of the other and that they do not angrily strive
12 Göbl 1974: 12. 13 Hinz 1969: plate 76.
14 Thus Trümpelmann 1975: 15; in contrast see Göbl 1974: 21, who interprets the tessera handed to
ˇSāpūr by Philip the Arab as a reference to the amount of ransom demanded for the release of the
captured Romans.
15 For a date of 299 see Barnes 1976: 179–86.
16 On the author and his work see Blockley 1985b.
17 The author was interested in this historical event because he was himself a Byzantine ambassador in
the peace negotiations with the Persians during the reign of Xusrō I(531–79).
18 Cf. especially Fest. 14; for a survey of the sources on the foedus of 298 see Winter 1988: 169–71.
19 Winter 1988: 163–8.