Published March 7, 2026 | Version v1

POLITICAL RIVALRY AND ALLIANCES BETWEEN THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE AND THE SASANIAN STATE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE 5TH–7TH CENTURIES

  • 1. Department of History University of Exact and Social Sciences 2nd-year Master's Student

Description

In the 5th–7th centuries, political rivalry between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian State was a central element of Late Antique Eastern politics. This article analyzes the military and diplomatic relations between Sasanian rulers – Shapur I, Shapur II, Khosrow I Anushervan, and Khosrow II Parviz – and Byzantium, their territorial expansions, and alliances. Based on historical facts from Mesopotamia, Armenia, the Caucasus, and Syria, as well as diplomatic treaties (Nisibis 298, 363, 562), the study illustrates the strategic competition and regional balance between the two empires. The article provides a detailed understanding of Eastern Late Antique political history through the examination of wars, territorial control, and diplomatic agreements.

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References

  • 1. Ammianus Marcellinus. Res Gestae. Translated by J. C. Rolfe. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1935–1940. – P. 23–49.
  • 2. Procopius of Caesarea. History of the Wars. Translated by H. B. Dewing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1914–1928. – P. 45–54.
  • 3. at-Tabariy, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir. Tarikh ar-rusul wa-l-muluk. Qohira: Dar al-Ma'arif, 1960. – P. 210–212.
  • 4. Shahbazi, A. Sh. "The Sasanian Army." Iranica Antiqua, Vol. 20, 1985, pp. 171–234. – P. 180–185.
  • 5. Howard-Johnston, J. East Rome, Sasanian Persia and the End of Antiquity. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006. – P. 88–92.