Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

33 The sixth and seventh centuries 227
(488–97/499–531). In his speech the bishop accused the monophysites in the
Sasanian Empire of being traitors because, as he argued, their faith and rites
resembled those of their fellow-believers in the Roman Empire. Kavādh I
reacted by giving instructions to persecute all orthodox monophysites in
his empire. 89 Similarly revealing are the words with which Barsauma, 90
one of the most influential Christians in Persia during the fifth century,
addressed king Pērōz (459–84), ‘Only if the faith of the Christians in the
lands of the Greeks is different will their heart and mind focus on you.’ 91
Moreover, the Nestorian Arabic Chronicle of Se‘ert in its own characteristic
way reflects the close relationship between the Persian Christians and
the Sasanian monarchy. 92 Not least the fact that the Sasanian rulers made
use of Christian bishops as advisors and ambassadors (35) illustrates their
privileged role at the Persian court. 93
Xusrō II (590–628), who owed his throne to the Christian emperor
Maurice (582–602), once more issued a statement to the Christians in
which he allowed them to build churches and permitted anybody with the
exception of the Magians to adopt the Christian faith. According to Tabarī
he did so by referring to the agreement of the foedus of 562. In this context
the author also points out that in 562 the Byzantine emperor had promised
to treat the Sasanians in the Roman Empire well and to allow them to
establish fire sanctuaries. 94 The pro-Christian attitude of Xusrō II 95 is also
nicely illustrated through a remarkable episode recorded by the Byzantine
historian Theophylact Simocatta:
Theophylact Simocatta v.14.1–10
(1) In the third year, 96 however, he even approached Sergius, a man who had been
most active in Persia, that a child by Seirem be given to him. When not much later
this had indeed happened for him, he once more fairly rewarded his benefactor
with gifts. He dispatched a letter, written in Greek. Word for word, the letter read
as follows:
(2) ‘To the great martyr Sergius, Xusrō, King of kings. I, Xusrō, King of kings,
son of Xusrō, have sent the gifts together with the patten not for men to see, and
not in order that from my words the greatness of your most sacred name shall be
89 Joh. Eph. Lives, PO 17.142; see also the references in Greatrex and Lieu 2002: 52.
90 See also above, p. 36 with n. 95.
91 According to Barhebraeus Chron. eccl. iii.65.16–7; cf. Wiesehöfer 2001: 296.
92 See e.g. PO vii.2.147.5 (Scher).
93 See in general Sako 1986 and below, pp. 250–1 (35).
94 Tabarī, tr. Nöldeke, p. 287; Bosworth 314 (1000).
95 On Xusrō’s attitude towards Christianity see McCullough 1982: 157–62; on the situation of the
Persian Christians in the sixth and seventh centuries see also Brock 1982: 18–19.
96 This is the third year after Xusrō II took over the throne, i.e. 27 June 592 to 27 June 593; for a
discussion of this dating see Schreiner 1985: 318 nn. 766–7.