Editing Hormizd III (section)

== Biography ==
Hormizd III was the eldest son and heir of the Sasanian shah [[Yazdegerd II]], and governed the eastern province of [[Sakastan (Sasanian Province)|Sakastan]] during his father's reign.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2004|pp=465–466}} The province was far away from the imperial court in [[Ctesiphon]], and had since its conquest by [[Ardashir I]] ({{reign|224|240}}) been governed by Sasanian princes, who held title of ''[[sakanshah]]'' ("king of the [[Saka]]").{{sfn|Christensen|1993|p=229}} When Yazdegerd I died in 457, Hormizd ascended the throne at [[Ray, Iran|Ray]].{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=248}} His younger brother [[Peroz I]], with the support of the powerful [[House of Mihran|Mihranid]] magnate [[Raham Mihran]], fled to the northeastern part of the empire and began raising an army in order to claim the throne for himself.{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=248}}{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=71}} The empire thus fell into a dynastic struggle and became divided; the mother of the two brothers, [[Denag]], temporarily ruled as regent of the empire from its capital, Ctesiphon.{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=248}} According to eastern sources, Peroz was more worthy for the throne than Hormizd, who is called unjust.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2004|pp=465–466}} Only the anonymous source known as the Codex Sprenger 30 describes Hormizd as the "braver and better", whilst describing Peroz as "more learned in religion".{{sfn|Shahbazi|2004|pp=465–466}}

The [[Arsacid dynasty of Caucasian Albania|Arsacid]] ruler of [[Caucasian Albania]], [[Vache II]] ({{reign|444|463}}), who was the nephew of the two brothers through his mother, and had been forced to convert to Zoroastrianism by Yazdegerd II, took advantage of the dispute by declaring independence and reverting to [[Christianity]].{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=300}}{{sfn|Daryaee|2008|p=24}} Peroz later went to the domains of the [[Hephthalite Empire|Hephthalite]] monarch, who agreed to support him with soldiers in his struggle for the throne.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2004|pp=465–466}} In 459, Peroz, with Hephthalite and Mihranid assistance, led an army against Hormizd and defeated him. According to some sources, Hormizd was pardoned and spared by his brother. However, this is most likely a legend, due to being contradicted by other sources, which state Peroz had Hormizd and three members of his family killed.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2004|pp=465–466}} Peroz I afterwards fully incorporated Sakastan into the empire by appointing an aristocrat from the [[House of Karen]] as governor.{{sfn|Christensen|1993|p=229}} Hormizd was thus the last person to wield the title of ''sakanshah''.{{sfn|Christensen|1993|p=229}} No [[Sasanian coinage|coins]] minted during Hormizd's reign has been found.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2004|pp=465–466}}