y distinguished himself and gained
his choicest laurels. The excellence of his domestic administration has
been already noticed. But, great as he was in peace, he was greater in
war. Engaged for nearly fifty years in almost uninterrupted contests,
he triumphed in every quarter, and scarcely experienced a reverse.
Victorious over the Romans, the Abyssinians, the Ephthalites, and the
Turks, he extended the limits of his empire on all sides, pacified
the discontented Armenia, crushed internal revolt, frustrated the most
threatening combinations, and established Persia in a position which
she had scarcely occupied since the days of Darius Hystaspis. Personally
engaged in above a score of fights, by the admission of his enemies he
was never defeated but once; and there are circumstances which make it
probable that this single check was of slight importance. The one real
failure that can be laid to his charge was in another quarter, and
involved no military, but only a political blunder. In recoiling from
the difficulties of the Lazic war, Chosroes had not to deplore
any disgrace to his arms, but simply to acknowledge that he had
misunderstood the temper of the Lazic people. In depreciation of his
military talents it may be said that he was never opposed to any great
general. With Belisarius it would certainly seem that he never actually
crossed swords; but Justinian and Maurice (afterwards emperor), to whom
he was opposed in his later years, were no contemptible antagonists. It
may further be remarked that the collapse of Persia in her struggle
with Rome as soon as Chosroes was in his grave is a tolerably decisive
indication that she owed her long career of victory under his guidance
to his possession of uncommon military ability.

CHAPTER XXII.

_Accession of Hormisdas IV. His good Government in the Earlier Portion
of his Reign. Invasion of Persia by the Romans under Maurice. Defeats
of Adarman and Tamchosro. Campaign of Johannes. Campaigns of Philippicus
and Heraclius. Tyranny of Hormisdas. He is attacked by the Arabs,
Khazars, and Turks. Bahram defeats the Turks. His Attack on Lazica. He
suffers a Defeat. Disgrace of Bahram. Dethronement of Hormisdas IV. and
Elevation of Chosroes II. Character of Hormisdas. Coins of Hormisdas._

At the death of Chosroes the crown was assumed without dispute or
difficulty by his son, Hormazd, who is known to the Greek and Latin
writers as Hormisdas IV. Hormazd was the eldest, o