Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

maurice 103
Antioch; Philippicus was now reinstated as commander, but this return to
normality in fact prompted a reverse for the Romans when the frontier city
of Martyropolis was betrayed to the Persians. Philippicus quickly invested
the city, but was unable to prevent Persian reinforcements from entering;
as a result he was superseded by Comentiolus, who persevered with the
blockade of Martyropolis but also moved south to threaten Nisibis and
defeated the Persians nearby at Sisarbanon.
Dramatic developments in Persia now affected the course of the frontier
war. 37 The king Hormizd had not commanded military expeditions in
person, perhaps obedient to advice given by his father after the mishap in
Armenia in 576, which meant that he was out of touch with his troops. His
leading general, Vahram Tchobin, recently returned from the north-east
where victories against the Turks had stabilized the frontier, had then campaigned
against Roman supporters in the Caucasian principalities. But here
he was routed. Hormizd saw this as an opportunity to humble an overmighty
commander, and publicly insulted Vahram with a gift of female
clothing. Vahram persuaded his army to revolt and marched south on
Ctesiphon; Hormizd’s support evaporated, and in February 590 he was
overthrown in a palace coup that placed his son, Khusro II, on the throne;
this did not mollify Vahram, and after a confrontation north of Ctesiphon,
Khusro fled across the Tigris towards the Roman empire.
The rest of 590 was occupied by negotiations, Khusro eager to secure
Roman support for his reinstatement, Vahram wanting to persuade
Maurice that he was the man to deal with. Although some of his advisers,
including the patriarch John Nesteutes, thought the Persians should be
allowed to weaken themselves through internal conflict, Maurice decided
that legitimate sovereigns had a duty to support each other, accepting the
argument that the Roman and Persian empires, even if antagonists, had
considerable self-interest in mutual stability. Khusro’s careful professions
of interest in Christianity seem also to have been a significant factor, and
the two leading clerics in the east, Domitian of Melitene and Gregory of
Antioch, were sent to supervise his stay on Roman territory and to co-ordinate
action; subsequently pope Gregory commiserated with Domitian on
his failure to win over Khusro. 38
Preparations were made for a grand campaign to restore Khusro, with
support being canvassed in the frontier areas. By 591 everything was ready
and Vahram was too weak to oppose a three-pronged attack against
Azerbaijan, Upper Mesopotamia and Ctesiphon; he was defeated near
Canzak in Azerbaijan, and Khusro resumed his throne. The Roman reward
for their assistance was the return of Dara and Martyropolis and the acquisition
of Iberia and much of Persarmenia. Twenty years of war initiated by
37 For discussion, see ibid. 292–304. 38 Greg. Reg. iii.62.
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