rose as to what was
fittest to be done. While some urged with much show of reason that
it was for the interest of the empire that the civil war should be
prolonged, that Persia should be allowed to waste her strength and
exhaust her resources in the contest, at the end of which it would be
easy to conquer her, there were others whose views were less selfish
or more far-sighted. The prospect of uniting the East and West into a
single monarchy, which had been brought to the test of experiment by
Alexander and had failed, did not present itself in a very tempting
light to these minds. They doubted the ability of the declining empire
to sway at once the sceptre of Europe and of Asia. They feared that if
the appeal of Chosroes were rejected, the East would simply fall into
anarchy, and the way would perhaps be prepared for some new power
to rise up, more formidable than the kingdom of the Sassanidae.
The inclination of Maurice, who liked to think himself magnanimous,
coincided with the views of these persons: their counsels were accepted;
and the reply was made to Chosroes that the Roman emperor accepted him
as his guest and son, undertook his quarrel, and would aid him with all
the forces of the empire to recover his throne. At the same time Maurice
sent him some magnificent presents, and releasing the Persian prisoners
in confinement at Constantinople, bade them accompany the envoys of
Chosroes and resume the service of their master. Soon afterwards more
substantial tokens of the Imperial friendship made their appearance. An
army of 70,000 men arrived under Narses; and a subsidy was advanced by
the Imperial treasury, amounting (according to one writer) to about two
millions sterling.

But this valuable support to his cause was no free gift of a generous
friend; on the contrary, it had to be purchased by great sacrifices.
Chosroes had perhaps at first hoped that aid would be given him
gratuitously, and had even regarded the cession of a single city as one
that he might avoid making. But he learnt by degrees that nothing was
to be got from Rome without paying for it; and it was only by
ceding Persarmenia and Eastern Mesopotamia, with its strong towns of
Martyropolis and Daras, that he obtained the men and money that were
requisite.

Meanwhile Bahram, having occupied Ctesiphon, had proclaimed himself
king, and sent out messengers on all sides to acquaint the provinces
with the change of rulers. The news was received without