his subjects. The heresiarch Mazdak, who had escaped the persecution
instituted in his later years by Kobad, and the sect of the Mazdakites,
which, despite that persecution, was still strong and vigorous, were
the first to experience the oppressive weight of his resentment; and the
corpses of a hundred thousand martyrs blackening upon gibbets proved
the determination of the new monarch to make his will law, whatever
the consequences. In a similar spirit the hesitation of Mebodes to obey
instantaneously an order sent him by the king was punished capitally,
and with circumstances of peculiar harshness, by the stern prince, who
did not allow gratitude for old benefits to affect the judgments which
he passed on recent offences. Nor did signal services in the field avail
to save Chanaranges, the nobleman who preserved the young Kobad, from
his master's vengeance. The conqueror of twelve nations, betrayed by an
unworthy son, was treacherously entrapped and put to death on account of
a single humane act which had in no way harmed or endangered the jealous
monarch.

The fame of Chosroes rests especially on his military exploits and
successes. On first ascending the throne he seems, however, to have
distrusted his capacity for war; and it was with much readiness that he
accepted the overtures for peace made by Justinian, who was anxious
to bring the Eastern war to a close, in order that he might employ the
talents of Belisarius in the reduction of Africa and Italy. A truce
was made between Persia and Rome early in A.D. 532; and the truce was
followed after a short interval by a treaty--known as "the endless
peace"--whereby Rome and Persia made up their differences and arranged
to be friends on the following conditions: (1) Rome was to pay over
to Persia the sum of eleven thousand pounds of gold, or about half a
million of our money, as her contribution towards the maintenance of the
Caucasian defences, the actual defence being undertaken by Persia; (2)
Daras was to remain a fortified post, but was not to be made the Roman
head-quarters in Mesopotamia, which were to be fixed at Constantia;
(3) the district of Pharangium and the castle of Bolon, which Rome had
recently taken from Persia, were to be restored, and Persia on her part
was to surrender the forts which she had captured in Lazica; (4) Rome
and Persia were to be eternal friends and allies, and were to aid
each other whenever required with supplies of men and money. Thus w