P E R 
Roman forces, cut to pieces a hundred thoufand men ; a 
difafter which compelled the remainder to flee precipi¬ 
tately to their own country. Varanes, being apprifed of 
this defeat, and hearing at the fame time that the for- 
trefs of Nifibis was clofely inverted, refolved to take the 
field in perfon, and accordingly marched at the head of a 
prodigious army toward the enemy, who immediately 
raifed the fiege and retired. However, on his return to 
his capital, the Romans, recovering theis fpirit, repulfed 
the Saracens a fecond time, and defeated the Perfian troops 
with great (laughter, 
Notwithftanding his repeated Ioffes, the Perfian monarch 
continued the war, and found means, by his military {kill, 
to make even viftory difadvantageous to the enemy : 
for, by granting his armies conftant fupplies, attending 
ftriftly to the prefervation of his magazines, and keeping 
a court on the frontiers, he fuftained the fpirits of his 
troops; while the Romans were neceflitated to aft upon 
the defenfive, and found it difficult to obtain timely fuc- 
cours. In this fituation of affairs, Theodofius conde- 
fcended to enter into a treaty ; and Varanes, being again 
defeated with confiderable lofs, agreed to conclude a 
peace, and to put a period to the perfecution of the Chrif- 
tians. The re-eftablilhment of Chriftianity in Perfia, may, 
however, be more properly attributed to the following 
circumftance. When the Romans penetrated into the 
province of Azazene, at the commencement of the war, 
feven thoufand Perfians were brought prifoners to the 
city of Amida, where they were foon reduced to extreme 
indigence. Acafes the Chriftian biffiopof Amida, having 
affembled his clergy, reprefented to them in the moft mov¬ 
ing terms the deplorable condition of thefe prifoners, and 
u!ed fuch forcible arguments on their behalf, that the 
clergy unanimoufly agreed to fell their confecrated veffels 
for the relief of the fufterers. Having reduced this plan 
to execution, they maintained the feven thoufand Perfians 
till the termination of the war, and then fent them home 
with money in their pockets; an inftance of unfeigned 
charity which fo aftoniffied Varanes, that he immediately 
invited the benevolent prelate to court, and granted the 
Chriftians many important favours at his requeft. After 
this accommodation, the Perfian monarch enjoyed an un¬ 
interrupted peace for the remainder of his life: and died, 
in full poffeffion of his people’s love, after he had fwayed 
the fceptre twenty years. 
A.D. 44a.—Varanes VI. was next inverted with the 
diadem ; but the Greek hiftorians make no farther men¬ 
tion of him, than to obferve that he was contemporary 
with Theodofius II. and his fucceffor Martianus, and 
that he enjoyed the government feventeen years and four 
months. 
Perofes, his fon and fucceffor, a prince of a reftlefs and 
turbulent fpirit, was highly incenfed againft the Euthalites, 
or White Huns, who difturbed the commencement of his 
reign by feveral predatory incurfions. To rid himfelf of 
thefe troublefome neighbours, he affembled a powerful 
army, and marched in perfon toward Gonza, their capi¬ 
tal, hoping to put a fpeedy period to the war by a gene¬ 
ral engagement; but the Euthalites, having drawn him 
fo far into their territories as to cut off the poffibility of a 
retreat, convinced him of his error, and obliged him to 
fwear that he would never more invade them. The ill 
fuccefs of this expedition, how'ever, did notcruffi the de- 
fign of Perofes, but merely induced him to take more 
prudent meafures, and fupply his troops with a greater 
flock of provifion. When, therefore, he had fettled his 
domeftic concerns, appointed his fon Cavades regent of 
the kingdom, and affembled his forces, he marched a fe¬ 
cond time toward the northern frontiers ; but the Eu¬ 
thalites, having concealed their warriors behind certain 
mountains, ruffled unexpeftedly on his army, flew or 
took captive moft of the foldiers of whom it was com- 
pofed, and put Perofes himfelf to death, after he had 
worn the Perfian diadem about twenty years. 
When the news of this difafter was brought to Perfia, 
Vol. XIX. No. 1334. 
S I A. G67 
the nobles, being unwilling to truft their fceptre in the 
hands of fo young a man as Cavades, bellowed the fu- 
preme authority on his uncle Valens, a prince of a vir¬ 
tuous and compaffionate difpofition, who ufed his utmoll 
exertions for thefpace of four years to redrefs the griev¬ 
ances of his country, and at the expiration of that 
time fell a viftim to the oppreffive cares of govern¬ 
ment. 
A. D. 486.—Cavades had no fooner afcended the throne 
than he took fuch vigilant meafures againft the Eutha¬ 
lites, who had overrun the greateft part of the kingdom, 
and exafted a tribute from their late fovereign, that their 
fpirit was foon broken, and they were eventually com¬ 
pelled to do homage to him as their lawful king. Hav¬ 
ing eftefted this defign, he undertook to alter the conlli- 
tution of his kingdom, depriving the nobility of all their 
ancient privileges, and rejefting the advice of counfellors 
even in the moft momentous tranfaftions. As his enter- 
prifing genius impelled him to break through every re- 
llraint, he foon became an objeft of terror to his fubjefts ; 
and at length the promulgation of an infamous edift, 
which feemed diftated by a fpirit of infanity, determined 
the chief nobles of the realm to (hake off their infuffera- 
ble yoke. Accordingly they depofed Cavades, after he 
had reigned eleven years, and bellowed the crown on 
Zambades, a near relative of Perofes. 
The conduftand abilities of the new king reflefted the 
higheft credit on the choice of his nobles, and promifed 
the happielt eftefts to the empire at large; for he was 
equally juft and compaffionate, zealous for the rights of 
the crown, and folicitous for the welfare of the fubjeft. 
But, whilft he was feduloufly employed in redreffing 
thofe evils which had arifen from the ill conduft: of his 
predeceffor, and reftoring the affairs of government to 
their ancient order, Cavades found means to efcape from 
prifon, and, with the afliftanceof the king of the Eutha¬ 
lites, repoffeffed himfelf of the throne. The principal 
authors of the late revolution were then fentenced to 
death ; and the unfortunate Zambades, after fuffering 
the lofs of his eyes, W'as thrown into dole confinement. 
Cavades had no fooner recovered the diadem, than he 
found himfelf preffed for the payment of a loan which 
he had received from the Euthalites. In this exigence 
he applied to the emperor Anaftafius, requeuing him to 
advance the money upon interell; but, his folicitation 
proving ineffeftual, he made a fudden irruption into Ar¬ 
menia, laid the inhabitants under heavy contributions, 
and, after an obftinate refinance, reduced the important 
fortrefs of Amida. Upon the firft intelligence of this 
invafion, the emperor fent a numerous army to the fron¬ 
tiers, in order to repel the Perfians ; but Cavades attacked 
them with fuch impetuofity, that Ariobindus, one of the 
Roman generals, lhamefully abandoned his camp, and 
fled to an adjacent city ; and another powerful divifion, 
commanded by Harpatius, who had cut off eight hundred 
Euthalites, were furprifed unexpeftedly, and flaughtered 
with fcarcely any refinance. 
Whilft Cavades was thus employed againft the Romans, 
his attention wasdiverted by a formidable invafion of the 
Huns, which compelled him to march his forces immedi¬ 
ately toward the northern provinces. The enemy pru¬ 
dently refolved to improve his abfence, and accordingly 
laid fiege to Amida, which obftinately refilled for fome 
time, but was at length compelled to capitulate. Soon 
after this event a truce for feven years was concluded, 
and hoftages were given on both fuies for its due obfer- 
vance. 
Juftinian, having fucceeded to the empire of the Eaft, 
caufed all the frontiers towards Perfia to be furveyed, and 
ordered his commanders on the border of Mefopbtamia 
to fortify Mindone, the nearell place in the Roman ter¬ 
ritories to Nifibis. The Perfians, who regarded this 
work with an eye of jealoufy, took an opportunity of 
attacking the labourers, with the troops who were ap¬ 
pointed to protect them, and, having flaughtered the 
8 H greateft 
