hich the Persians left Lazistan to the Romans, and promised not to
persecute the Christians, if they did not attempt to make proselytes
among the Zarathustrians; on the other hand, the Romans had again to pay
subsidies to Persia. Meanwhile in the east the Hephthalites had been
attacked by the Turks, who now appear for the first time in history.
Chosroes united with them and conquered Bactria, while he left the
country north of the Oxus to the Turks. Many other rebellious tribes
were subjected. About 570 the dynasts of Yemen, who had been subdued by
the Ethiopians of Axum, applied to Chosroes for help. He sent a fleet
with a small army under Vahriz, who expelled the Ethiopians. From that
time till the conquests of Mahomet, Yemen was dependent on Persia, and a
Persian governor resided here. In 571 a new war with Rome broke out
about Armenia, in which Chosroes conquered the fortress Dara on the
Euphrates, invaded Syria and Cappadocia, and returned with large booty.
During the negotiations with the emperor Tiberius Chosroes died in 579,
and was succeeded by his son Hormizd IV.

Although Chosroes had in the last years of his father extirpated the
heretical and communistic Persian sect of the Mazdakites (see KAVADH)
and was a sincere adherent of Zoroastrian orthodoxy, he was not
fanatical or prone to persecution. He tolerated every Christian
confession. When one of his sons had rebelled about 550 and was taken
prisoner, he did not execute him; nor did he punish the Christians who
had supported him. He introduced a rational system of taxation, based
upon a survey of landed possessions, which his father had begun, and
tried in every way to increase the welfare and the revenues of his
empire. In Babylonia he built or restored the canals. His army was in
discipline decidedly superior to the Romans, and apparently was well
paid. He was also interested in literature and philosophical
discussions. Under his reign chess was introduced from India, and the
famous book of Kalilah and Dimnah was translated. He thus became
renowned as a wise prince. When Justinian in 529 closed the university
of Athens, the last seat of paganism in the Roman empire, the last seven
teachers of Neoplatonism emigrated to Persia. But they soon found out
that neither Chosroes nor his state corresponded to the Platonic ideal,
and Chosroes, in his treaty with Justinian, stipulated that they should
return unmolested.

2. CHOSROES II., "the Victorious" (_Parvez