Editing Kavad I (section)

===Anastasian war===
{{main|Anastasian War}}
[[Image:Roman-Persian Frontier in Late Antiquity.svg|thumb|280px|alt=Map showing the Byzantine-Iranian frontier during the reign of Kavad I|Map of the Byzantine-Iranian frontier during the reign of Kavad I]]
The Sasanians and Byzantines had kept peace since the brief [[Byzantine–Sasanian War of 440]]. The last major war between the two empires had been during the reign of [[Shapur II]] ({{reign|309|379}}).{{sfn|Daryaee|2009}} However, war finally erupted in 502. Bankrupted by his hiatus in 496–498/9, Kavad applied for subsidies to the [[Byzantine Empire]], who originally had paid the Iranians voluntarily to maintain the defense of the Caucasus against attacks from the north.{{sfn|Daryaee|Nicholson|2018}} The Iranians seemingly saw the money as a debt due to them.{{sfn|Daryaee|Nicholson|2018}} But now Emperor [[Anastasius I (emperor)|Anastasius I]] ({{reign|491|518|show=none}}) refused subsidies forcing Kavad to attempt to obtain the money by force.{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=62}} In 502, Kavad invaded [[Byzantine Armenia]] with a force that included Hephthalite soldiers.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2005}} He [[Siege of Theodosiopolis|captured]] [[Theodosiopolis (Armenia)|Theodosiopolis]], perhaps with local support; in any case, the city was undefended by troops and weakly fortified.{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=62}}

He then marched through southwestern Armenia, reportedly without facing any resistance, and entrusted local governor with the administration of the area.{{sfn|Howard-Johnston|2013|p=872}} He proceeded to cross the Armenian [[Taurus Mountains|Taurus]], and reached [[Silvan, Diyarbakır|Martyropolis]], where its governor Theodore, surrendered without any resistance and gave Kavad two years' worth of taxes collected from the province of [[Sophene]].{{sfn|Howard-Johnston|2013|pp=872–873}}{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=63}} Because of this, Kavad let Theodore keep his position as governor of the city.{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=63}} Kavad then [[Siege of Amida (502–503)|besieged]] the fortress-city of [[Amida (Mesopotamia)|Amida]] through the autumn and winter (502–503). The siege proved to be a far more difficult enterprise than Kavad had expected; the defenders, although unsupported by troops, repelled the Iranian assaults for three months before they were finally defeated.{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=63}}

He had its inhabitants deported to a city in southern Iran, which he named "Kavad's Better Amida" ([[Arrajan|Weh-az-Amid-Kawad]]). He left a garrison in Amida which included his general Glon, two ''[[marzban]]s'' ([[margrave]]s) and 3,000 soldiers.{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=156 (see also note 184)}} The Byzantines failed in their attempt to recapture the city. Kavad then tried unsuccessfully to capture [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]] in [[Osroene]].{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=69–71}} In 505 an invasion of Armenia by the Huns from the Caucasus led to an armistice; the Byzantines paid subsidies to the Iranians for the maintenance of the fortifications on the Caucasus,{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=77}} in return for Amida.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} The peace treaty was signed by the [[House of Ispahbudhan|Ispahbudhan]] aristocrat [[Bawi]], Kavad's brother-in-law.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=111}} Although Kavad's first war with the Byzantines did not end with a decisive winner, the conquest of Amida was the greatest accomplishment achieved by a Sasanian force since 359, when the same city had been [[Siege of Amida (359)|captured]] by Shapur II.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}