e demands upon the Romans for the payment of their share of
the expenses; but it seems that these efforts were ineffectual, and the
debt accumulated. It was under these circumstances that Kobad. finding
himself in want of money to reward adequately his Ephthalite allies,
sent an embassy to Anastasius, the Roman emperor, with a peremptory
demand for a remittance. The reply of Anastasius was a refusal.
According to one authority he declined absolutely to make any payment;
according to another, he expressed his willingness to lend his Persian
brother a sum of money on receiving the customary acknowledgment, but
refused an advance on any other terms. Such a response was a simple
repudiation of obligations voluntarily contracted, and could scarcely
fail to rouse the indignation of the Persian monarch. If he learned
further that the real cause of the refusal was a desire to embroil
Persia with the Ephthalites, and to advance the interests of Rome by
leading her enemies to waste each other's strength in an internecine
conflict, he may have admired the cunning of his rival, but can scarcely
have felt the more amicably disposed towards him.

The natural result followed. Kobad at once declared war. The two empires
had now been uninterruptedly at peace for sixty, and, with the exception
of a single campaign (that of A.D. 441), for eighty years. They had
ceased to feel that respect for each other's arms and valor which
experience gives, and which is the best preservative against wanton
hostilities. Kobad was confident in his strength, since he was able
to bring into the field, besides the entire force of Persia, a largo
Ephthalite contingent, and also a number of Arabs. Anastasius, perhaps,
scarcely thought that Persia would go to war on account of a pecuniary
claim which she had allowed to be disregarded for above half a century.
The resolve of Kobad evidently took him by surprise; but he had gone too
far to recede. The Roman pride would not allow him to yield to a display
of force what he had refused when demanded peacefully; and he was thus
compelled to maintain by arms the position which he had assumed without
anticipating its consequences.

The war began by a sudden inroad of the host of Persia into Roman
Armenia, where Theodosiopolis was still the chief stronghold and the
main support of the Roman power. Unprepared for resistance, this city
was surrendered after a short siege by its commandant, Constantine,
after which the g