670 
PER 
mencing at Derbent, and running, like the Chinefe wall, 
from mountain to mountain, fo as to fecure the Perlian 
frontiers from northern invaders. 
Chofroes was fucceeded by his fon Hormifdas III. whofe 
cruel and obftinate difpolition was but ill adapted to foothe 
the public troubles, or heal the wounds of his empire. A 
ridiculous curiofity relative to future events, a haughty 
forbidding carriage, and an impolitic mode of conduct 
toward foreign princes, were prominent traits in his cha- 
rafter, and continually involved both himfelf and his fub- 
jefts in the moll ferious embarraffments. His faith in 
the afiertions of fome old diviners caufed him to regard 
the generality of his fubjefts as a difcontented and rebel¬ 
lious race; and his contumelious treatment of the am- 
bafladors whom Tiberius fent to compliment him on his 
acceilion, occafioned a new war, which in the end proved 
very difadvantageous to both parties. 
The firll military operations were not of great confe- 
quence; but, when Philippicus arrived on the frontiers with 
a powerful army from Conftantinople, the Perfians were 
obliged to leave the open country to the invader’s mercy, 
and confult their own fafety by fleeing to the mountains. 
Philippicus accordingly gratified his troops with the plun¬ 
der of all the places that fell into his hands; but, his third: 
of pillage having drawn him too far into the country, he 
was reduced to the utmoft extremity for want of water ; 
acircumftance which induced him to put all his prifoners 
to the fword, except the children who were defigned for 
flaves; but they died in the march, and thusefcaped the 
miferies which they mud: otherwife have endured. 
In the early part of this unpopular reign, the Turks 
made an inroad into Perfia. This brought into aftion 
the talents of the celebrated Bahrain, or Varamus, fur- 
named Giubin, a man defcended from the ancient princes 
of Rei or Rages. From his youth he had ferved in the 
army of the late king. His gigantic fize, fierce counte¬ 
nance, and fignal valour, railed him to command in the 
reign of Nufhirvan, and at length acquired him the go¬ 
vernment of Media, and fuperintendance of the royal 
palace. When Perfia, therefore, was invaded by the great 
khan of the Turks, Bahram was fent for by Hormifdas to 
oppofe him. Bahram took only 12,000 deleft foldiers; 
and, marching with equal celerity and fecrecy, he fell 
unexpeftedly upon the khan’s numerous hod, and de¬ 
feated it with great (laughter, killing the khan himfelf, 
and taking all the rich treafures of his camp. His tyran¬ 
nical mailer, though rejoiced at this deliverance, became 
jealous of his general’s fuccefs, and gave ear to thofe who 
infinuated that he had kept the mod valuable of the fpoils 
to himfelf. Soon after, Bahram received orders to crofs 
the river Araxes, and to attack the Roman territories on 
that fide. This command was executed with all poflible 
expedition, and Bahram had done incredible mifchief to 
the enemy before they could aflemble an army fufficient 
to take the field. At length, however, Romanus offered 
battle; and the Perlian, relying on his own valour, 
eagerly embraced thepropofal; but, his good fortune aban¬ 
doning him at this junfture, his cavalry was totally de¬ 
feated, and the utmod fkill required to elude a general 
daughter by retreat. Hormifdas, being apprifed of this 
misfortune, was imprudent enough to infult him by the 
prefent of a wheel, a diflaff, and a fuit of woman’s appa¬ 
rel. Bahram fhowed himfelf to the troops in this drefs; 
and fo inflamed their paflions by the ignominy inflifted 
on the w hole army in his perfon, that they unanimoully 
joined him in a revolt againd their king, and infpired him 
with the thought of effefting a general revolution. 
Upon the firll intimation of this defign, he received many 
aflurances of aflidance 5 the garrifon of Nifibis openly 
declared for him ; even the king’s army began to exhibit 
figns of difaffeftion ; the inhabitants of all the royal ci¬ 
ties (hook off their allegiance 5 and the popular tumults 
continued to augment. But, in the mean time, Hormif¬ 
das met with another enemy in the perfon of Bindoes, 
his brother-in-law, who had been loaded with chains fora 
S I A. 
flight offence, but was now liberated by the infurgents, 
who feized upon the king, and committed him to the fame 
dungeon. 
Hormifdas was publicly tried, and fentenced to be de- 
pofed. When he heard, moreover, that his fon Chofroes 
was nominated his fucceflor, he fent a meflage from his 
dungeon, requeding the liberty of fpeaking before an af~ 
fembly of the nobles. This petition being granted, he 
made a very long and pathetic fpeech, in which he de¬ 
plored his own misfortunes, inveighed bitterly againd 
the authors of the rebellion, and earnedly entreated that 
Chofroes might not be permitted to afcend the vacant 
throne, as his vicious and turbulent nature w’ould inevi¬ 
tably overwhelm the empire with mifery and confufion. 
He recommended his younger fon to the notice of his au¬ 
ditors, as a virtuous and ingenuous prince; and conclu¬ 
ded with recapitulating the fervices he had himfelf ren¬ 
dered the Perfians, by reducing many provinces, and 
compelling the neighbouring barbarians to pay them a 
regular tribute. At the end of this addrefs, Bindoes 
flood up, and, in a long infulting anfwer, wrought fo 
powerfully on the paflions of theaflembly, that they una- 
nimoufly rejefted the counfel of Hormifdas; caufed the 
prince, whom he had recommended to their favour, to be 
cut in pieces ; exercifed a fimilar cruelty on his ill-fated 
mother; and ordered the eyes of the depofed monarch to 
be put out with a hot iron, that no turn of fortune might 
ever reftore him to his former dignity. Such was the 
tragical termination of this reign, after it had continued 
twenty-one years. A. D. 592. 
Thefe objefts of popular refentment being removed, 
Chofroes II. or Kofrou Parviz, afcended the throne, amidft 
the acclamations of the people, who celebrated his accef- 
fion with every demonftration of joy, and made vows for 
his profperity. For fome time he treated his father with 
great lenity, fending him a daily allowance of food from 
his own table, granting him many amufements, and or¬ 
dering him proper attendance; but, on the unhappy 
prince reproaching him with cruelty and unnatural bafe- 
nefs, he caufed him to be beaten with cudgels till he 
expired. Having, by this diabolical aft, delivered himfelf 
from the voice of upbraiding, and fuppofing himfelf fuffi- 
ciently ellablifhed in the kingdom, he gave fplendid en¬ 
tertainments to his nobility, diftributed the royal trea¬ 
fures with unexampled profufenels among the lower or¬ 
ders, and commanded all the prifons in his dominions to 
be thrown open, that the fame of his liberality might en- 
fure the aflfeftion of his fubjefts. 
Some hiftorians reprefent Bahram as having produced 
this revolution; but it is certain, that, while Chofroes 
was taking meafures for the fecurity of his crown, Bah¬ 
ram advanced with his troops with the view of depofing 
him, and feizing the crown for himfelf. A bloody en¬ 
gagement enfued, in which Chofroes was defeated, and 
compelled to abandon his palace, and feek his fafety in a 
precipitate flight. Bahram then entered the city of Cte- 
fiphon with all imaginable pomp, and, after exercifing 
the utmoft feverity on thofe who had evinced any affec¬ 
tion for the royal family, invited the grandees of the king¬ 
dom to feveral fumptuous entertainments, and affefted 
the greateft humanity, beneficence, and condefcenlion : 
but, on his afl'uming the royal ornaments at afolemn fef- 
tival, the fparks of difcontent were blown into an open 
flame, and the nobles, purfuant to the advice of Bindoes, 
attacked the palace in the dead of the night. This at¬ 
tempt, however, was fruftrated by the gallant defence of 
Bahram and his attendants, who, after a fanguinary con- 
flift, flew moll of the aflaiiants, except Bindoes and a few 
of his friends, who fled towards Media for the purpofe of 
railing forces for Chofroes. 
Elated with this fuccefs, and impatient to afluine the 
regal title, Bahrain now' fent an embafly to Conftantinople, 
foliciting the friendfliip of the emperor Mauritius ; but, 
Chofroes having already conciliated the emperor’s efteein 
by a letter, in which he pathetically intreated his affift- 
ance 
