THE EMPIRE OF THE SASSANIDS

(1228-651 A.D.)

2While the Arsacids were ruling their kingdom and lording it over the minor kings of the neighbouring country, the rulers of Persis (or Persia proper) seem to have occupied an isolated position and not been included in the Parthian empire. At the beginning of the third century A.D. the kings of Persia have lost all power of keeping the empire together; all the land is ruled by a number of local potentates. One of these is Pabak, son and descendant of a certain Sasan of Khir. Pabak conquers considerable territory beyond his own dominions. On his death the succession of Shapur or Sapor, the eldest son, is disputed by Ardashir, a younger son. Sapor dies suddenly and Ardashir puts his other brother to death, and settles himself on his throne in 211 or 212 A.D. About 224 he invades the land of the “great king” Artabanus IV of Parthia, and by 228 the conquest is complete and the title of “great king” devolves upon Ardashir. He makes his capital at Ctesiphon.

3228 Foundation of the Sassanian empire by =Ardashir= or =Artaxerxes=. He passes his reign in extending and consolidating his empire.

4236-238 War with Rome. Nisibis and Carrhæ taken.

5241 Death of Ardashir. His son =Shapur= or =Sapor I= succeeds.

6242 Sapor penetrates to Antioch but is driven back by the Romans.

7244 Philippus concludes a humiliating peace with Sapor. Peace reigns until

8251 when Sapor invades Armenia and puts the king to flight. The Persians now make repeated invasions of Syria.

9258 The Roman emperor Valerian takes the field against the Persians.

10260 Capture of Valerian by Sapor. He proceeds towards Asia Minor but is repulsed by Odenathus, king of Palmyra, who lays siege to Ctesiphon. Sapor acquires no permanent gain of territory. In his reign Mani preaches his doctrines tending to the amalgamation of Christianity and Zoroastrianism, and leading to the formation of the Manichæan sect.

11272 or 273 Sapor succeeded by his son =Hormuz= (=Hormizd=) or =Hormisdas I=.

12274 Death of Hormuz and accession of his brother (?) =Bahram= or =Varanes I=--a weak prince, given to pleasure. Mani executed in his reign. Persecution of the Manichæans and Christians.

13277 =Bahram= or =Varanes II= succeeds his father. He wars with Rome, ending

14282 with a peace with Probus.

15283 After murder of Probus, Carus invades Persia, takes Ctesiphon and Coche, and dies suddenly. There are civil wars, probably led by a brother of the king, assisted by the barbarous tribes in the northwest.

16294 Death of Bahram. The throne seems to be contested by =Bahram= or =Varanes III=, probably a son of Hormuz, who reigns a short time, and =Narses= or =Narseh=, who soon gains the upper hand.

17297 Narseh occupies Armenia and defeats the Roman general Galerius.

18298 Peace with Rome after a great defeat of Narseh by Galerius. Armenia and Mesopotamia ceded to Rome. Peace lasts forty years.

19303 Abdication of Narseh in favour of his son =Hormuz II=.

20310 Death of Hormuz. His son =Adharnarseh= succeeds, but is soon deposed for cruelty. His brothers are killed or imprisoned and the new born (or unborn) son of Hormuz, =Shapur= or =Sapor (II) Postumus= is chosen king. He proves to be the greatest of the Sassanians.

21337 Sapor begins a long war with Rome, owing to the latter becoming Christianised.

22339-340 Terrible persecution of the Christians in Persia. The war with Rome continues. Sapor aims to seize Nisibis and reduce Armenia.

23348 Great defeat of the emperor Constantius at the battle of Singara.

24350 Sapor almost succeeds in capturing Nisibis when troubles with the barbarians in the East compel him to raise the siege.

25350-358 War in the East causes almost complete suspension in the conflict with Rome.

26358 Peace made in the East and Romans sue for peace. Sapor declines and war is continued.

27359 Sapor captures Amida, but the Romans regain it the following year. Hostilities are suspended until

28363 when the emperor Julian attempts to strike a death-blow at Sapor. He takes Seleucia but fails to capture Ctesiphon. Death of Julian in battle. His successor Jovian makes a shameful peace with Sapor, granting him the lands east of the Tigris, and part of Mesopotamia with Nisibis and Singara. The Romans also agree not to help Arsaces of Armenia, and Sapor proceeds against him.

29365-366 Reduction of Armenia and Iberia by Sapor.

30371 The Romans attempt to recover Armenia, but fail through breaking out of the Gothic war.

31379 Death of Sapor, succeeded by his brother =Ardashir II=.

32383 or 384 Ardashir deposed by the nobles towards whom he has been very severe. =Shapur= or =Sapor III=, probably a son of Sapor II, raised to the throne. He makes a definite treaty of peace with Rome.

33388 or 389 Murder of Sapor by the nobles. His brother (or perhaps son) =Bahram= or =Varanes III= succeeds.

34390 Division of Armenia between Persia and Rome by treaty. The division practically lasts until Arab times.

35399 Assassination of Bahram. =Yezdegerd= or =Jezdegird (I) the Sinner=, son of Sapor I or Sapor II, succeeds. He is friendly to Rome, and Arcadius appoints him the guardian of his son Thedorius. He sets his son Sapor on the throne of Pers-Armenia.

36420 Death of Yezdegerd, probably slain by the nobles. Sapor hurries from Armenia to take throne, but is slain. A certain Khosrau or Chosroes is made king, but another son of Yezdegerd, =Bahram= or =Varanes (V) the Wild Ass=, succeeds in getting the throne, with the help of the Arabs, among whom he has been living in exile. This is the first intervention of the Arabs in the affairs of Persia.

37421 War breaks out with Rome, probably instigated by the nobles hostile to the king. Persians defeated, and

38422 peace is made, giving religious freedom to Christians in Persia, and to Zoroastrians in the Roman Empire. There is constant warfare with Hephthalites or White Huns during this reign.

39429 Bahram reduces Pers-Armenia to a province.

40438 or 439 Bahram succeeded by his son, =Yezdegerd II=, who is cruel to the Jews and Christians. He suffers severe defeats from the White Huns.

41451 A severe rebellion, due to religious persecutions, breaks out in Pers-Armenia, and is quelled with difficulty.

42457 Death of Yezdegerd, and contest for the throne, between his two sons, =Hormuz III= and =Peroz= or =Peroses=. The latter is finally successful, owing to assistance from the White Huns. Peroz persecutes Jews and Christians, but favours the Nestorians, when they are driven from Rome.

43484 Defeat and death of Peroz in a great battle with the White Huns, with whom he has been at war for some years. Revolt in Armenia put down by Zarmihr. =Balash=, Peroz’s brother, made king. He puts his brother, Zareh, a claimant of the throne, to death.

44488 or 489 Balash deposed by the nobles, and blinded. =Kavadh I= or =Kobad=, son of Peroz, succeeds him. Kobad favours Mazdak and his new communistic religion, and in consequence

45496 is deposed and imprisoned. His brother, =Jamasp= or =Zames=, is placed on the throne. Kobad escapes to the White Huns, and with their help

46498 or 499 recovers his kingdom.

47502 Kobad begins an exhausting war with Rome, which opens the way for the Arabian conquests. He seizes Theodosiopolis, capital of Roman Armenia.

48503 Fall of Amida, and terrible massacre of the inhabitants. The Romans recover it the following year.

49506 Peace concluded with Rome. The Romans build the great fortress at Dara.

50521 War renewed with Rome. Belisarius first comes to the front as a general. Narses and his brother desert Kobad, and join the army of Justin.

51529 Mundhir of Hira invades Syria. Kobad massacres the Mazdukites, who have become too powerful.

52531 Kobad makes campaign in Syria. Belisarius compels him to turn back. Defeat of Belisarius at Rakka. Persian successes in Mesopotamia. Death of Kobad and truce with Rome. =Khosrau= or =Chosroes (I) the Just=, his son, succeeds. His wise internal government benefits the kingdom greatly.

53532 “A Perpetual Peace” made with Rome.

54540 Chosroes, jealous of Belisarius’ conquests in Africa and Italy, goes to war with the empire. He invades Syria, Antioch taken, Dara laid under tribute. Ctesiphon is captured.

55541 Chosroes takes Petra in Lazistan.

56546 Rome buys a truce for a large sum.

57551 The son of Chosroes rebels in Susiana. He is taken and partially blinded.

58560 The Turks take the right bank of the Oxus from the White Huns. Bactria becomes a part of Chosroes’ kingdom.

59562 Fifty years’ peace made with the Romans.

60570 Chosroes sends an expedition against the Christian Abyssinians in Yemen. He puts them under tribute.

61571 War breaks out with Rome, over the threatened loss of Pers-Armenia.

62573 Chosroes takes Dara. The war continues.

63579 Death of Chosroes, succeeded by his son, =Hormuz= or =Hormisdas IV=. He makes a severe but just ruler. The war with Rome and a severe one with the Turks fill his reign.

64589 The general Bahram, defeated by the Romans in the Caucasus. He is removed by Hormuz, and revolts. The king’s son, Chosroes, joins the rebels.

65590 Hormuz is deposed, and shortly afterwards put to death. His son, =Khosrau= or =Chosroes (II) Parvez=, succeeds. Bahram contests the crown, and seizes it. =Bahram= or =Varanes VI= puts down an insurrection in Ctesiphon.

66591 Chosroes recovers the throne, with help of the emperor Maurice. Bahram flees to the Turks, and is murdered. Chosroes strengthens his position, and puts his brother, Bindoe to death. Another brother, Bistam, escapes to Media and makes himself king.

67595 or 596 Death of Bistam.

68604 War breaks out with Rome, over usurpation of Phocas. Dara captured by Chosroes.

69606-608 The Persians invade Asia Minor. They advance as far as Chalcedon.

70610 Chosroes abolishes the kingdom of Hira.

71614 The Persians capture Damascus.

72615 The Persians capture Jerusalem and the holy cross.

73616 Persian invasion of Egypt.

74617 The Persians occupy Chalcedon.

75622 Heraclius proceeds in person against the Persians, and gradually wins back the Persian conquests.

76628 Heraclius reaches Ctesiphon but is unable to take it. Rebellion in Ctesiphon. Chosroes and most of his family are slain. His eldest son =Kavadh (Kobad) II=, or =Siroes=, is made king. He murders most of his brothers, and sues for peace from the Roman Empire. A terrible pestilence breaks out and Kobad dies. His infant son, =Ardashir III=, succeeds. He is the last male Sassanid. The throne is disputed by many claimants. Chosroes, a son of Kobad II, makes himself king in Khorasan, but is soon slain.

77629 The holy cross is returned to Heraclius. The general Shahrbaraz is supported in a claim to the throne by Heraclius. He takes Ctesiphon.

78630 Murder of Ardashir, followed by that of Shahrbaraz. =Boran= or =Puran=, a daughter of Chosroes II, takes the throne. She makes a treaty with Heraclius.

79631 Boran succeeded by =Peroz (Peroses) II=, who rules but a short time; then =Azarmidokht=, sister of Boran, takes the throne. =Hormuz V=, grandson of Chosroes II, maintains a rule over a portion of the country for a short time.

80632 Azarmidokht dethroned by Rustem, hereditary marshal of Khorasan. =Ferrukhzadh= reigns a short time in Ctesiphon.

81632 or 633 =Yezdegerd III=, grandson of Chosroes II, is put forward by some of the nobles and crowned. Ferrukhzadh is slain and Yezdegerd acknowledged as sole king. He declines to accept the Mohammedan religion at invitation of Abu Bekr, and the Moslems invade Persia.

82636 Persian defeat by the Moslems at Cadesia, or Kadisiya.

83640 or 642 The “Victory of Victories” by the Arabs over the Persians at Nehavend. The last great Persian army is shattered. The nobles gradually yield to the Arab chiefs. Yezdegerd is driven from place to place, continually shorn of more and more power until he is murdered in 651, and Persia becomes part of the Mohammedan dominions.