Khosrow II - Heraclius war 602-628AD

[Gäiten]

Hello,

I have been searching books about the epic Romano-Byzantine - Sassanian conflict in the early 7th century AD.

Can you recommend me some books and sources?
So far I own Greatex & Lieu`s The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars Ad 363-628 and some Osprey books.

Best regards

Andreas

[Medicus matt]

I recently picked up a copy of "Rome and Persia in Late Antiquity" which I've found to be a fascinating book, covering the four centuries of realtionships following the establishment of the Sassanian empire. It's published by Cambridge Press, as is "Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium" which is an excellent biography and contains a detailed appraisal of Byzantine warfare against the Persians.

[S SEVERUS]

Indeed, Heraclius, Emperor Of Byzantium by Walter E Kaegi. review :http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2004/2004-03-08.html


Also of some intrest is The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD226-363 bij Michael H Dodgeon and Samuel NC Lieu. O you already have this one I see now.

[S SEVERUS]

Byzantine Military Unrest, 471-843: An Interpretation
by Walter Emil Kaegi. I don't have this book and I can't find a review so maybe someone else?

[Gäiten]

Thank you for your recommedations.

Another book I found while researching is First Crusader: Byzantium's Holy Wars by Regan, Geoffrey.

Does anybody of you know that book?

I am somewhat surprised because that conflict is somewhat ignored. Given the length and the extension (almost an ancient world war) and the result of a fatally weakened Sassanid state and Byzanz`fundament shaken, a situation perfectly suited for the storm of Islam, IMHO, it was one of the most world-changing conflicts ever.

[SMC]

Hi,
Sorry for the late reply to this post but I've been offline for a while. Some of James Howard Johnston's articles may be of interest to you. As for Reagan's book I only briefly glanced through it a couple of years ago and can't really offer an useful comments on it. Kaegi's Military Unrest is a staple of the late Roman/Byzantine army reading lists but, without a copy to hand, I suspect isn't all that specific about the last great war of antiquity, as Ho-Jo refers to it.

Howard-Johnston, J., ‘The Siege of Constantinople in 626’, Constantinople and its Hinterland, ed. Mango, C., and Dagron, G., (Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, 3, Aldershot, 1995), 131-142.

Howard-Johnston, J., ‘The Great Powers in Late Antiquity: A Comparison’, in Cameron, A. M., ed., The Byzantine and early Islamic Near East 3: states, resources and armies (Princeton, 1995).

Howard-Johnston, J., 'Heraclius' Persian Campaigns and the Revival of the East Roman Empire, 622-630', War in History, 6 (1999), 1-44.

Howard-Johnston, J., 'The Official History of Heraclius' Persian Campaigns', in Dabrowa, E., ed., The Roman and Bzantine Army in the East (Cracow, 1994), 57-87.

Howard-Johnston, J., 'Armenian Histories of Heraclius: An Examination of the Aims, Sources and Working-Methos of Sebeos and Moses Daskhurantsi’, in Reinink, G.J. and Stolte, B.H., eds, The Reign of Heraclius (610-641): Crisis and Confrontation (leuven, 2002), 41-62.

Zuckerman, C., ‘Heraclius in 625’, Revue des Études Byzantines, 60 (2002), 189-197.

Altheim-Stiehl, R., 'The Sasanians in Egypt - Some evidence of historical Interest', Bulletin de la Société d'Archéologie Copte, 31(1992), 87-96

Foss, C., ‘The Persians in Asia Minor and the End of Antiquity’, English Historical Review, 90 (1975), 722-747.

Hope this helps,
Stephen

[elagababbalus]

maybe try Haldon's The Byzantine Wars a review of which can be found at:

http://www.deremilitari.org/REVIEWS/haldon_byzwar.htm

[Ioannes_Ahenobarbus]

I don't have too much to add here as there are really not that many works on such an important conflict, but here it goes (note that these include general works, as well):

Byzantium in the Seventh Century - J.F. Haldon
Rome and Persia at War - G. Greatrex
"Frontier and Periphery in Late Antique Palestine" - D. Bar
"Cavalry Equipment and Tactics on the Euphrates Frontier" - A.D.H. Bivar
"Roman and Byzantine Campaigns in Atropatene" - V. Minorsky
"Sixth Century Alania between Byzantium, Sasanian Iran, and the Turkic World" - A. Alemany
"The Crucial Development of Heavy Cavalry under Herakleios and his Usage of Steppe Nomad Tactics" - M. Karantabias
"The Campaigns of Heraclius against Persia" - N.H. Baynes
"The Road-System of Eastern Asia Minor with the Evidence of Byzantine Campaigns" - J.G.C. Anderson

John Haldon, Warren Treadgold, and Walter Kaegi all write a lot about the Byzantine military in general. See Geoffrey Greatrex, Samuel Lieu, Michael Dodgeon, and James Howard-Johnston for the Persian frontier (they have already been mentioned, but I don't mind repeating just a bit).

[Gäiten]

Wow, very interesting. Thank you, guys.

Another book I can recommend you is:

Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran by Parvaneh Pourshariati.

IMHO a very interesting book with a somewhat different view. Not only the Arabian conquest, but the Heraclius war is considered too.