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Roman–Sasanian War of 421–422

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824:"...in 419 or 420 a series of Christian attacks on Magian fire-temples provoked the Sasanian government to a savage persecution of Christians, which in turn led to war between the two empires in 421–422. The incidents that provoked the persecution are described in Persian Christian martyr acts preserved in Syriac, and in a corresponding account in Theodoret. The initial response of the Persian king was surprisingly lenient. Hearing that bishop Abda of Hormizd-Ardashir, or one of his priests, had destroyed a temple, he sent for him, complained “in moderate language,” and ordered him to rebuild the temple...When the ascetic Narsai was arrested for destroying a temple, the king even offered to drop the matter if Narsai would simply deny that he had done the deed. Abda refused to rebuild the temple, and Narsai refused to renounce his action. For their stubbornness, both were executed. At this point the king exhausted his patience and launched a general persecution against the church 139: 25: 804:, had the consecrated gold and silver plate of his church melted down, to procure a sum sufficient to buy 7,000 Persian captives who had wound up in the slave market in consequence of the war, whom he then sent back in freedom to their homeland, as a gesture of Christian generosity to the Persian persecutors. If the story is true, 862:"In some minor battles in mesopotamia, Bahram's forces suffered defeat, and the king agreed to peace terms in which Christianity was tolerated throughout the Persian Empire. In turn, the Romans agreed to tolerate Zoroastrianism, the religion of Persia." 661:
The Roman-Sassanid relationship already had some friction. The Persians had hired some Roman gold-diggers, but now refused to send them back; furthermore, the Sassanids seized the properties of Roman merchants.
760:). According to this source, the Romans did not try to aid the besieged, but the Sassanids were convinced to lift the siege when the bishop of the city, Eunomius, had a stone-thrower, named after 665:
For these reasons, when the Persian ambassadors reached the Roman court to demand the return of the fugitives, Theodosius chose to break the peace and declare war, rather than giving them back.
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According to a Roman ecclesiastical source, the Sassanids besieged Theodosiopolis for 30 days, with thousands of soldiers and even siege engines (that the source calls
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Despite the evident religious theme of this account, the passage is important as it testifies to an unsuccessful Sassanid attack on Theodosiopolis. This could be the
42: 89: 61: 68: 280: 75: 57: 273: 797:). Both parties agreed to reject Arab defectors of the other party, as well as to guarantee liberty of religion in their territories. 567: 562: 719:, a Roman province that had been left unguarded, and moved there, but Ardabur foresaw his enemy's plan and intercepted him there. 1109: 859: 326: 746:; at the same time, a large Persian army moved towards Nisibis. To avoid a war on two fronts, Theodosius then recalled Ardabur. 397: 1104: 1060: 363: 647: 392: 82: 601:, which had come as a response to attacks by Christians against Zoroastrian temples; the Christian Eastern Roman Emperor 353: 138: 449: 1044: 1004: 988: 973: 542: 108: 1089: 469: 348: 491: 46: 731: 358: 258: 1114: 1084: 772: 716: 627:, who shortly before he had been killed, began a persecution of Christians as reprisal for attacks against 331: 169: 631:
by Christians during his reign; Bahram continued this persecution, during which many died. Among them was
887:, Emperor in 450, who, however, fell ill in Lycia and did not take part in the war (Theophanes, AM 5943). 530: 439: 605:
declared war and obtained some victories, but in the end, the two powers agreed to sign a peace on the
715:, Narses, engaged Ardabur in battle, but was defeated and forced to retreat. Narses planned to attack 646:
The persecuted Christians fled to Roman territory and were welcomed by the bishop of Constantinople,
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Persian Empire agreed to tolerate Christianity and Roman Empire agreed to tolerate Zoroastrianism
35: 1119: 793: 700: 607: 484: 464: 434: 424: 402: 297: 245: 203: 681:. Ardabur needed to collect many troops for his campaign. Theodosius, therefore, allowed some 1016: 997:
There is no crime for those who have Christ: religious violence in the Christian Roman empire
501: 429: 336: 674: 584: 479: 241: 220: 8: 914: 801: 496: 761: 628: 130: 738:), who, however, were dispersed by the Romans. In the meantime, the King of the Huns, 1056: 1040: 1000: 984: 969: 707:, where he joined the rebels, while Ardabur entered Persian territory and devastated 523: 511: 417: 412: 316: 779:, and in this case the attack should be dated after the Roman retreat from Nisibis. 632: 444: 225: 743: 636: 547: 1073: 805: 712: 651: 602: 407: 1099: 1094: 640: 966:
The Rome that did not fall: the survival of the East in the fifth century
771:, and in this case the siege should be dated to 421, while Narses was in 704: 650:, who informed the Emperor of the persecution. The Eastern Roman Emperor 624: 593: 552: 254: 165: 685: 742:, had attacked the dioceses of Dacia and Thracia and had even menaced 1024: 756: 655: 588: 557: 265: 24: 727: 708: 682: 620: 598: 250: 229: 884: 883:
Among which was a unit in which was enlisted an obscure soldier,
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The peace treaty that ended the war (422) was negotiated by the
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Helio. It returned everything to the situation before the war (
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remarks, this will have facilitated the conclusion of peace.
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Conflict between Eastern Roman Empire and Sasanians (602-628)
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The Sasanian empire at War.Persia,Rome and the rise od Islam
693: 658:, and had become more and more interested in Christianity. 1035:
Michael H. Dodgeon, Samuel N. C. Lieu, Geoffrey Greatrex,
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was at the time deeply influenced by his religious sister
1031:. English translations of these sections are present in: 865: 722:
Ardabur received reinforcements and put the fortress of
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The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars, Part 2
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while the Thracian Roman troops were sent to the East.
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was the persecution of Christians by the Sassanid king
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The most complete account of the war is preserved in
841: 942:, (The Modern Library, 1932), chap. XXXII., p. 1179 49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 1071: 673:The commander-in-chief of the Roman army was 281: 981:A history of the Byzantine state and society 764:, kill a lesser king of the Sassanid army. 1023:VII.18, but some passages are included by 749: 288: 274: 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 940:The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1072: 1050: 994: 871: 847: 800:It is related that Acacius, bishop of 295: 269: 726:under siege. Bahram allied with the 47:adding citations to reliable sources 18: 983:, Stanford University Press, 1997, 13: 999:. University of California Press. 692:, to defend the province from the 14: 1131: 964:Stephen Williams, Gerard Friell, 137: 23: 958: 945: 932: 782: 58:"Roman–Sasanian War of 421–422" 34:needs additional citations for 1110:Battles involving the Lakhmids 920: 908: 899: 890: 877: 853: 818: 1: 834: 614: 581:Roman–Sasanian war of 421–422 398:Campaign of Severus Alexander 124:Roman–Sasanian War of 421–422 1105:420s in the Byzantine Empire 1055:. Westholme Publishing,LLC. 7: 1051:Decker, Michael J. (2022). 668: 639:but then converted back to 583:was a conflict between the 492:Julian's Persian expedition 470:Perso-Roman wars of 337–361 164:Roman - Sassanid frontier ( 10: 1136: 359:Trajan's Parthian campaign 327:Pompeian–Parthian invasion 777:Theodosiopolis in Osroene 769:Theodosiopolis in Armenia 374:Parthian war of Caracalla 322:Caesar's planned invasion 307: 235: 214: 147: 143:Roman - Sasanian frontier 136: 128: 123: 995:Gaddis, Michael (2005). 811: 905:Dodgeon, p. 258, n. 50. 896:Theodoretus, V.37.6-10. 750:Siege of Theodosiopolis 531:Byzantine–Sasanian wars 364:Lucius Verus' campaigns 1029:Historia Ecclesiastica 1021:Historia Ecclesiastica 794:status quo ante bellum 349:Mark Antony's campaign 236:Commanders and leaders 204:status quo ante bellum 1017:Socrates Scholasticus 979:Warren T. Treadgold, 711:. The general of the 623:succeeded his father 354:Armenian War of 58–63 585:Eastern Roman Empire 221:Eastern Roman Empire 43:improve this article 1115:5th century in Iran 1090:Roman–Sasanian Wars 1085:Religion-based wars 1039:, CRC Press, 2002, 968:, Routledge, 1999, 789:magister officiorum 629:Zoroastrian temples 386:Roman–Sasanian wars 311:Roman–Parthian Wars 874:, p. 196-197. 860:Dictionary of Wars 762:Thomas the Apostle 299:Roman–Persian Wars 131:Roman-Persian Wars 1062:978-1-59416-692-1 917:, fragment 1.4-7. 576: 575: 264: 263: 210: 209: 119: 118: 111: 93: 1127: 1066: 1047:, p. 38-41. 1010: 952: 949: 943: 936: 930: 924: 918: 912: 906: 903: 897: 894: 888: 881: 875: 869: 863: 857: 851: 845: 828: 822: 730:of Alamundarus ( 633:James Intercisus 302: 300: 290: 283: 276: 267: 266: 149: 148: 141: 121: 120: 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 1135: 1134: 1130: 1129: 1128: 1126: 1125: 1124: 1070: 1069: 1063: 1007: 961: 956: 955: 950: 946: 938:Edward Gibbon, 937: 933: 925: 921: 913: 909: 904: 900: 895: 891: 882: 878: 870: 866: 858: 854: 846: 842: 837: 832: 831: 823: 819: 814: 785: 752: 671: 617: 608:status quo ante 577: 572: 303: 298: 296: 294: 257: 253: 244: 228: 226:Sassanid Empire 198: 187: 173: 142: 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1133: 1123: 1122: 1117: 1112: 1107: 1102: 1097: 1092: 1087: 1082: 1080:420s conflicts 1068: 1067: 1061: 1048: 1013: 1012: 1005: 992: 977: 960: 957: 954: 953: 944: 931: 919: 907: 898: 889: 876: 864: 852: 850:, p. 234. 839: 838: 836: 833: 830: 829: 816: 815: 813: 810: 784: 781: 751: 748: 744:Constantinople 670: 667: 637:Zoroastrianism 616: 613: 574: 573: 571: 570: 568:War of 602–628 565: 563:War of 572–591 560: 555: 550: 548:Anastasian War 545: 540: 538:War of 421–422 527: 526: 521: 520: 519: 514: 509: 504: 499: 489: 488: 487: 482: 477: 467: 462: 457: 452: 450:Caesarea (260) 447: 442: 437: 432: 427: 422: 421: 420: 415: 410: 405: 400: 382: 381: 376: 371: 366: 361: 356: 351: 346: 345: 344: 339: 334: 332:Cilician Gates 324: 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settle in 687: 684: 680: 676: 666: 663: 659: 657: 653: 652:Theodosius II 649: 644: 642: 638: 634: 630: 626: 622: 612: 610: 609: 604: 603:Theodosius II 600: 596: 595: 590: 586: 582: 569: 566: 564: 561: 559: 556: 554: 551: 549: 546: 544: 541: 539: 536: 535: 534: 533: 532: 525: 522: 518: 515: 513: 510: 508: 505: 503: 500: 498: 495: 494: 493: 490: 486: 483: 481: 478: 476: 473: 472: 471: 468: 466: 463: 461: 460:Carrhae (296) 458: 456: 455:3rd Ctesiphon 453: 451: 448: 446: 443: 441: 438: 436: 433: 431: 428: 426: 425:Nisibis (252) 423: 419: 416: 414: 411: 409: 406: 404: 403:Nisibis (235) 401: 399: 396: 395: 394: 391: 390: 389: 388: 387: 380: 377: 375: 372: 370: 369:2nd Ctesiphon 367: 365: 362: 360: 357: 355: 352: 350: 347: 343: 340: 338: 335: 333: 330: 329: 328: 325: 323: 320: 318: 315: 314: 313: 312: 306: 301: 291: 286: 284: 279: 277: 272: 271: 268: 260: 256: 252: 249: 247: 243: 240: 239: 234: 231: 227: 224: 222: 219: 218: 213: 206: 205: 201: 196: 195: 189: 188: 184:Roman victory 183: 182: 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835:References 686:Ostrogoths 615:Background 543:War of 440 497:Pirisabora 155:421–422 AD 69:newspapers 1025:Theodoret 927:Chr. Arb. 757:helepolis 701:Anatolius 683:Pannonian 656:Pulcheria 589:Sasanians 558:Lazic War 524:Bagrevand 507:Ctesiphon 246:Anatolius 709:Arzanene 669:Conflict 621:Bahram V 619:In 421, 599:Bahram V 587:and the 251:Bahram V 230:Lakhmids 160:Location 1027:in his 1011:196-197 915:Malchus 885:Marcian 724:Nisibis 690:Thracia 675:Ardabur 648:Atticus 517:Samarra 512:Maranga 435:Antioch 418:Misiche 413:Resaena 379:Nisibis 317:Carrhae 242:Ardabur 199:changes 83:scholar 1059:  1043:  1003:  987:  972:  806:Gibbon 591:. The 465:Satala 445:Edessa 178:Result 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  929:, 16. 812:Notes 802:Amida 775:, or 736:Hirah 679:Alans 480:Amida 408:Hatra 90:JSTOR 76:books 1057:ISBN 1041:ISBN 1001:ISBN 985:ISBN 970:ISBN 694:Huns 579:The 152:Date 62:news 1100:422 1095:421 740:Rua 734:of 703:to 45:by 1076:: 1019:, 826:." 643:. 611:. 168:, 1065:. 1009:. 289:e 282:t 275:v 172:) 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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Roman-Persian Wars
Roman - Sassanid frontier
Persarmenia
Mesopotamia
status quo ante bellum
Eastern Roman Empire
Sassanid Empire
Lakhmids
Ardabur
Anatolius
Bahram V
Mehr Narseh
Al-Mundhir I
v
t
e
Roman–Persian Wars
Roman–Parthian Wars
Carrhae

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