P E R S I ? A. 
f>68 
Sreateft part of them, demolilhed the building. This 
occafioned a new war, which was carried on for fome time 
with different fuccefs; but, as neither party gained any 
confiderable advantage, a fecond truce was propofed, and 
the hoftile armies were mutually withdrawn. 
Meanwhile the king of Perfia, exhaufted by the toils of 
war, and oppreffed with many bodily infirmities, fent for 
Mebodes, his confidential miniller, andexprelfed an earn¬ 
ed: defire of leaving the crown to his third fon Chofroes, 
whofe warlike and ambitious difpofition feemed better 
adapted to the affairs of government than that of his el¬ 
der brothers. He then gave him his will, with a folemn 
injunftion to ufe his utmoft efforts for its execution ; and 
Ihortly after died, A. D. 531, in the forty-fifth year of 
his reign. Upon thedemife of Cavades, the elder prince 
Caofes aff'umed the regal title; but, a folemn affembly 
being convened, and the will of the late monarch pro¬ 
duced, his claim was fet afide, and Chofroes was imme¬ 
diately placed on the throne. 
Chofroes, or Khofrou, who was afterwards celebrated 
throughout the eaft by the name of Nnjhirvarr, or the Mag¬ 
nanimous, wasno fooner confirmed king, than theemperor 
Juftinian fent an embaffy, confiding of Rufinus and feveral 
otherperfonsofdiftim 51 ion,tocompliment him on his accef- 
fion, and to make propofals of peace. Chofroes received 
the ambaffadors with every mark of refpeft, and readily 
agreed to the offered pacification, on condition that he 
lie ffiould receive a certain fum of money; that the pre- 
tenfions of the Romans and Perfians ffiould be finally fet¬ 
tled ; all places taken on either fide reftored; and this 
peace declared to b eperpetual. Rufinus returned toCon- 
llantinople for inllruftions, and foon after arrived with 
the ratification of the peace. 
The Perfian nobility, perceiving that Chofroes pof- 
feffed the fame difpofition which had difturbed the peace 
of the empire at the acceffion of Cavades, refolved to 
provide for their own fafety by transferring the fceptre 
into the hands of a more traftable prince. Accordingly 
they formed a confpiracy for placing his fecond brother’s 
fon, Cavades the Younger, on the throne, propofing, 
however, to veil the regal authority in Zames as his tutor 
and proteftor ; for Zanies, the brother of Chofroes, hav¬ 
ing the misfortune to be blind of one eye, was, by the 
laws of Perfia, incapable of wearing the crown. But, 
whilft they were making 1'uitable preparations for the 
execution of their project, Chofroes was apprifed of his 
danger, and caufed all the confpirators to be put to death 
except young Cavades, w'ho had the good fortune to ef- 
cape the pretent danger, and afterward found an agreea¬ 
ble afylum at the court of Juftinian. Another aft of fe- 
verity which he thought neceffary for the peace of his 
kingdom, was the execution of Mazdak, the head of a 
new left, who preached a community of property and of 
women, and whofe delufions had obtained great fway over 
the mind of Cavades. He next removed fuch governors 
of provinces as during his father’s reign had made them- 
felves obnoxious to the people ; and for the better admi- 
niftration of jultice, he divided his dominions into four 
great vifirftiips, thole of Affyria, Media, Perfia, and Bac- 
triana. 
The late peace proving beneficial to Perfia, Chofroes 
faithfully obferved it for fome time: but on receiving a 
nieffage from Vitiges, king of the Goths, relative to the 
dangerous augmentation of Juftinian’s power, he began 
to meditate frelh hoftilities; and a fubfequent embaffy 
from the Arfacidas, or petty princes of Armenia, fixed 
his determination. Accordingly, having affembled a for¬ 
midable army, he marched, early in the Ipring of the year 
540, toward the provinces of Syria and Cilicia ; reduced 
Sura, a place of confiderable iirength on the banks of 
the Euphrates ; levied heavy contributions on the adja¬ 
cent country; and advanced by rapid marches to Anti¬ 
och, which, after a bloody conflift, was added to his 
other conquefts. 
Whilft his army remained in the vicinage of this city, 
he received ari embaffy from Juftinian, who expoftulated 
with him on the injuftice of his conduft in violating the 
late treaty, and at the fame time expreffed a- wilh for an 
accommodation. Chofroes received the ambaffadors with 
every mark of refpeft ; liftened attentively to their re- 
monftrances; and anfwered them with language and gef- 
turesfo well calculated to excite the paffions, that they 
were totally confounded, and openly confelfed that his 
eloquence was to be dreaded rather than his arms. How¬ 
ever, as they hefitated to comply with his unreafonable 
demands, he reduced the city of Antioch to allies, and 
took fuch meafures for extorting new contributions, that 
theRomans were aftually alarmed at his progrefs, and the 
Perfians became intoxicated with fuccefs. After redu¬ 
cing feveral places of importance, the Perfian monarch 
inverted Dara, a rich and populous city, which he was 
very defirous of poffeffing; but, finding that the garrifon 
were refolved to defend themfelves to the laft extremity, 
and perceiving the difcontent which prevailed in his army, 
on account of fatigue and the advanced ftate of the fea- 
fon, he determined to abandon the fiege, and return to his 
own dominions. 
Soon after his return, Chofroes received an embaffy 
from Gubazes, prince of the Lazi, complaining that Juf¬ 
tinian had caufed a new city to be built on the coaft of 
the Euxine Sea, and fortified b}' a Roman garrifon, for 
the exprefs purpofe of enflaving a people who had hitherto 
enjoyed the blelffngs of liberty without moleftation. 
The king immediately refolved to efpoufe the caufe of 
the Lazi, and accordingly led his forces into Colchis, 
where Gubazes met him, and, joining his army with a 
powerful reinforcement, accompanied him to Petra, which 
was immediately evacuated by theRomans. 
Whilft the fword of Chofroes was bathed in the blood 
of his enemies, and his coffers were abundantly reple- 
nilhed with the fpoils of conquered cities, the Roman ge¬ 
neral, Belifarius, led a numerous army againft Nifibis, 
but was foon compelled to raife the fiege. Toconfole 
himfelf for this misfortune, he ravaged a few inconfider- 
able places, and, having carried off fome fpoil, fent a 
meflage to Conftantinople, importing that he had tri¬ 
umphed over the Perfians, though in reality his expedi¬ 
tion was rather honourable than advantageous. 
Early in the enfuing fpring Chofroes marched his 
forces into Comagene, intending to advance into Palef- 
tine, and plunder the city of Jerufalem ; but, finding 
himfelf oppofed by Belifarius, and dreading the effefts of 
a peftilence, which had recently parted from Egypt into 
thofe parts of the Roman territories, he retired haltily 
toward the northern provinces, where he recruited his 
army for the purpofe of invading Armenia. Juftinian, 
however, being apprifed of his defign, ordered his offi¬ 
cers to affemble a numerous body of troops on that fide, 
and Chofroes relinquilhed his projefted attempt. 
Next year the Perfian monarch led his army againft the 
city of Edeffa, which he had already befieged without 
fuccefs, but which he now determined to deftroy. How¬ 
ever, the citizens made fo vigorous a defence, that he 
found his defign impracticable, and was foon compelled 
to retire into his own territories, where he held a confe¬ 
rence with the Roman ambaffadors, and drew them into 
an infidious treaty, which was, in faft, more deftruftive 
to their mailer than open war. 
Shortly after this event, he formed the defign of tranf- 
porting his new fubjefts, the Lazi, who were zealous 
Chriftians, from their own country of Colchis into the 
the centre of Perfia, having been perfuaded by the Magi 
that their difference of religion would render them un¬ 
ruly and dilcontented beneath his government. To ac- 
complilh this intention, he deemed it requifite to build 
a navy in the port of Petra, which might guard thecoalls, 
and prevent any intercourfe with the inhabitants of the 
Roman provinces; but, whilft he was making the need¬ 
ful preparations, Gubazes, king of the Lazi, befought 
the proteftion of Juftinian, and, with the affiftance of a 
Roman 
