which he was to confer the royal dignity on Phthasuarsas, he caused his
army to surround the unarmed multitude and massacre the entire number.

Relieved from this peril, Kobad would at once have declared war against
Justin, and have marched an army into Roman territory, had not troubles
broken out in Iberia, which made it necessary for him to stand on the
defensive. Adopting the intolerant policy so frequently pursued,
and generally with such ill results, by the Persian kings, Kobad had
commanded Gurgenes, the Iberian monarch, to renounce Christianity and
profess the Zoroastrian religion. Especially he had required that the
Iberian custom of burying the dead should be relinquished, and that the
Persian practice of exposing corpses to be devoured by dogs and birds of
prey should supersede the Christian rite of sepulture. Gurgenes was
too deeply attached to his faith to entertain these propositions for a
moment. He at once shook off the Persian yoke, and, declaring himself
a vassal of Rome, obtained a promise from Justin that he would never
desert the Iberian cause. Rome, however, was not prepared to send her
own armies into this distant and inhospitable region; her hope was
to obtain aid from the Tatars of the Crimea, and to play off these
barbarians against the forces wherewith Kobad might be expected shortly
to vindicate his authority. An attempt to engage the Crimeans generally
in this service was made, but it was not successful. A small force was
enrolled and sent to the assistance of Gurgenes. But now the Persians
took the field in strength. A large army was sent into Iberia by Kobad,
under a general named Boes. Gurgenes saw resistance to be impossible.
He therefore fled the country, and threw himself into Lazica, where
the difficult nature of the ground, the favor of the natives, and
the assistance of the Romans enabled him to maintain himself. Iberia,
however, was lost, and passed once more under the Persians, who even
penetrated into Lazic territory and occupied some forts which commanded
the passes between Lazica and Iberia.

Rome, on her part, endeavored to retaliate (A.D. 526) by invading
Persarmenia and Mesopotamia. The campaign is remarkable as that in
which the greatest general of the age, the renowned and unfortunate
Belisarius, first held a command and thus commenced the work of
learning by experience the duties of a military leader. Hitherto a mere
guardsman, and still quite a youth, trammelled moreove