equently continued; and Maurice, who
still held the command, proceeded, in the summer of A.D. 579, to take
the offensive and invade the Persian territory. He sent a force
across the Tigris under Romanus, Theodoric, and Martin, which ravaged
Kurdistan, and perhaps penetrated into Media, nowhere encountering any
large body of the enemy, but carrying all before them and destroying the
harvest at their pleasure. In the next year, A.D. 580, he formed a more
ambitious project. Having gained over, as he thought, Alamundarus, the
leader of the Saracens dependent on Persia, and collected a fleet to
carry his stores, he marched from Gircesium down the course of the
Euphrates, intending to carry the war into Southern Mesopotamia, and
perhaps hoping to capture Ctesiphon. He expected to take the Persians
unawares, and may not unnaturally have looked to gain an important
success; but, unhappily for his plans, Alamundarus proved treacherous.
The Persian king was informed of his enemy's march, and steps were at
once taken to render it abortive. Adarman was sent, at the head of a
large army, into Roman Mesopotamia, where he threatened the important
city of Callinicus in Maurice's rear. That general dared advance no
further. On the contrary, he felt constrained to fall back, to give
up his scheme, burn his fleet, and return hastily within the Roman
frontier. On his arrival, he engaged Adarman near the city which he was
attacking, defeated him, and drove him back into Persia.

In the ensuing spring, after another vain attempt at negotiation, the
offensive was taken by the Persians, who, early in A.D. 581, crossed the
frontier under Tam-chosro, and attacked the Roman city of Constantia,
or Constantina. Maurice hastened to its relief; and a great battle was
fought in the immediate vicinity of the city, wherein the Persians
were completely defeated, and their commander lost his life. Further
advantages might have been gained; but the prospect of the succession
drew Maurice to Constantinople, where Tiberius, stricken with a mortal
disease, received him with open arms, gave his daughter and the state
into his care, and, dying soon after, left him the legacy of the empire,
which he administered with success for above twenty years.

On quitting the East, Maurice devolved his command upon an officer who
bore the very common name of Johannes, but was distinguished further
by the epithet of Mustacon, on account of his abundant moustache.
This seem