The Last Great War of Antiquity

Description

The last and longest war of classical antiquity was fought in the early seventh century. It was ideologically charged and fought along the full length of the Persian-Roman frontier, drawing in all the available resources and great powers of the steppe world. The conflict raged on an unprecedented scale, and its end brought the classical phase of history to a close. Despite all this, it has left a conspicuous gap in the history of warfare. This book aims to finally fill that gap. The war opened in summer 603 when Persian armies launched co-ordinated attacks across the Roman frontier. Twenty-five years later the fighting stopped after the final, forlorn counteroffensive thrusts of the Emperor Heraclius into the Persians' Mesopotamian heartland. James Howard-Johnston pieces together the scattered and fragmentary evidence of this period to form a coherent story of the dramatic events, as well as an introduction to key players-Turks, Arabs, and Avars, as well as Persians and Romans- and a tour of the vast lands over which the fighting took place. The decisions and actions of individuals-particularly Heraclius, a general of rare talent-and the various immaterial factors affecting morale take centre stage, yet due attention is also given to the underlying structures in both belligerent empires and to the Middle East under Persian occupation in the 620s. The result is a solidly founded, critical history of a conflict of immense significance in the final episode of classical history. Cover The Last Great War of Antiquity Copyright Preface Contents List of Abbreviations List of Maps List of Figures Table of Events Plate Introduction 1: Khusro’s War of Revenge 1.1 Phocas’ Seizure of Power 1.2 Persian Preparations for War 1.3 Opening Campaigns 1.4 Second Persian Offensive 2: The Heraclian Revolution 2.1 Rebellion in the West, Disaffection in the East 2.2 Battle for Egypt 2.3 Fall of Phocas 3: Persian Breakthrough 3.1 Theodore of Syceon and the War 3.2 Persian Advance into Syria and Asia Minor, 610–13 3.3 The Jerusalem Episode, 614 3.4 Aftermath 4: Khusro’s Fateful Decision 4.1 The Senate’s Letter 4.2 Iran and Turan 4.3 Further Persian Advances 5: The Middle East in the 620s 5.1 The Roman Empire 5.2 The Middle East under Persian Occupation 5.3 The Sasanian Empire 6: Opening of the Battle for Survival 6.1 Heraclius Takes Command in Asia Minor in 622 6.2 Crisis in the Balkans 6.3 The Avar Surprise 7: Heraclius’ First Counteroffensive 7.1 Heraclius’ Opening Moves 7.2 Invasion of Persian Territory 7.3 The Persian Hunt for Heraclius 8: Climax of the War 8.1 Pursuit of Heraclius 8.2 Information, Confusion, and Disinformation in the Chronicle of Theophanes 8.3 Siege of Constantinople 8.4 Persian Reverses 9: Heraclius’ Second Counteroffensive 9.1 Turkish-Roman Alliance 9.2 Invasion of Mesopotamia 9.3 March on Ctesiphon 9.4 Fall of Khusro 10: The Difficult Road to Peace 10.1 First Round of Negotiations 10.2 Celebration of Victory at Constantinople 10.3 Second Round of Negotiations 10.4 Celebration of Victory at Jerusalem 10.5 The Final Settlement 11: Conclusion 11.1 Explanations 11.2 Consequences Afterword Appendix 1: Dramatis Personae Bibliography Appendix 2: Scene Appendix 3: Sources Bibliography 1. Primary Sources 2. Modern Works Index