Editing Maurice (emperor) (section)

===Persian War and accession to the throne===
[[File:Roman-Persian Frontier in Late Antiquity.svg|thumb|300px|right|Map of the Roman-Persian frontier showing Maurice's gains after he restored Sassanid king Khosrow II to the throne in 591.]]
{{details|Byzantine–Sasanian War of 572–591}}
In late 577, despite a complete lack of military experience, Maurice was named as ''[[magister militum]] per [[Diocese of the East|Orientem]]'', effectively commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army in the east. He succeeded General [[Justinian (magister militum per Orientem)|Justinian]] in the [[Roman–Persian War of 572–591|ongoing war]] against [[Sassanid Persia]]. At about the same time he was raised to the rank of ''[[patrikios]]'', the empire's senior honorific title, which was limited to a small number of holders.{{sfn|Martindale|1992|pp=856–857}} 

In 578, a truce in Mesopotamia came to an end and the main focus of the war shifted to that front. After Persian raids in Mesopotamia, Maurice mounted attacks on both sides of the Tigris, captured the fortress of Aphumon and sacked [[Singara]]. Sassanid emperor Khosrow sought peace in 579, but died before an agreement could be reached and his successor [[Hormizd IV]] (r. 579–590) broke off the negotiations.<ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=160–162}}.</ref> In 580, Byzantium's Arab allies the Ghassanids scored a victory over the Lakhmids, Arab allies of the Sassanids, while Byzantine raids again penetrated east of the Tigris. Around this time the future [[Khosrow II]] was put in charge of the situation in Armenia, where he succeeded in convincing most of the rebel leaders to return to Sassanid allegiance, although Iberia remained loyal to the Byzantines.<ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=162–163}}</ref>

The following year an ambitious campaign by Maurice, supported by Ghassanid forces under [[al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith|al-Mundhir III]], targeted [[Ctesiphon]], the Sassanid capital. The combined force moved south along the river [[Euphrates]] accompanied by a fleet of ships. The army stormed the fortress of Anatha and moved on until it reached the region of [[Beth Aramaye]] in central [[Mesopotamia]], near Ctesiphon. There they found the bridge over the Euphrates destroyed by the Persians.<ref name="581 Expedition">{{harvnb|Shahîd|1995|pp=413–419}}; {{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=163–165}}</ref> 

In response to Maurice's advance, Sassanid general [[Adarmahan]] was ordered to operate in northern Mesopotamia, threatening the Roman army's supply line.<ref>{{harvnb|Shahîd|1995|p=414}}.</ref> Adarmahan pillaged [[Osrhoene]], and was successful in capturing its capital, [[Edessa]]. He then marched his army toward [[Raqqa|Callinicum]] on the Euphrates. With the possibility of a march to Ctesiphon gone Maurice was forced to retreat. The retreat was arduous for the tired army, and Maurice and al-Mundhir exchanged recriminations for the expedition's failure. However, they cooperated in forcing Adarmahan to withdraw, and defeated him at [[Raqqa|Callinicum]].<ref>{{harvnb|Shahîd|1995|p=416}}; {{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=165}}</ref>

The mutual recriminations were not laid to rest by this. Despite his successes, al-Mundhir was accused by Maurice of treason during the preceding campaign. Maurice claimed that al-Mundhir had revealed the Byzantine plan to the Persians, who then proceeded to destroy the bridge over the Euphrates. The chronicler John of Ephesus explicitly calls this assertion a lie, as the Byzantine intentions must have been plain to the Persian commanders.<ref name="GL164">{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=164}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Shahîd|1995|pp=439–443}}</ref> 

Both Maurice and al-Mundhir wrote letters to Emperor Tiberius, who tried to reconcile them. Maurice visited Constantinople himself, where he was able to persuade Tiberius of al-Mundhir's guilt.<ref name="GL164"/> The charge of treason is almost universally dismissed by modern historians; [[Irfan Shahîd]] says that it probably had more to do with Maurice's dislike of the veteran and militarily successful Arab ruler. This was compounded by the Byzantines' habitual distrust of the "[[barbarian]]" and supposedly innately traitorous Arabs, as well as by al-Mundhir's staunchly Monophysite faith.<ref>{{harvnb|Shahîd|1995|pp=444–455}}</ref> Al-Mundhir was arrested the following year on suspicion of treachery, triggering war between Byzantines and Ghassanids and marking the beginning of the end of the Ghassanid kingdom.<ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=163–166}}</ref>

[[File:Girdle with Coins and Medallions MET dp30688 (cropped).jpg|thumb|200px|right|Gold medallion of Maurice circa 583, from a girdle found in Karavas, near Kyrenia, Cyprus.]]

In June of 582 Maurice scored a decisive victory against Adarmahan near [[Constantina (Osrhoene)|Constantina]]. Adarmahan barely escaped the field, while his co-commander [[Tamkhosrau]] was killed.<ref>{{harvnb|Martindale|1992|pp=859, 1215}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=166}}</ref> In the same month Emperor Tiberius was struck down by an illness which shortly thereafter killed him. In this state Tiberius initially named two heirs, each of whom was to marry one of his daughters. Maurice was betrothed to [[Constantina (empress)|Constantina]], and [[Germanus (Caesar)|Germanus]], related to emperor [[Justinian I]], was married to Charito. Some historians believe that the plan was to divide the empire in two, with Maurice receiving the eastern provinces and Germanus the western.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=226}} 

On 5 August, Tiberius was on his deathbed and civilian, military and ecclesiastical dignitaries awaited the appointment of his successor. He then chose Maurice and named him ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]'', after which he adopted the name "Tiberius". [[John of Nikiû]] and [[Theophanes the Confessor]] write that Germanus was proclaimed ''caesar'' at the same time. However, on 11 August 582, only Maurice is recorded as ''Caesar'' in the subscription of a law of Tiberius.{{sfn|Martindale|1992|p=529}} According to John of Nikiû, Germanus was Tiberius' favored candidate for the throne but declined out of humility.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nikiu2_chronicle.htm |title=John, Bishop of Nikiu: Chronicle. Chapter XCV (95), 25–26. 1916 translation by R. H. Charles|access-date=29 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109164225/http://tertullian.org/fathers/nikiu2_chronicle.htm |archive-date=9 January 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Maurice was [[coronation of the Byzantine emperor|crowned emperor]] soon after, on 13 August.<ref>''[[Chronicon Paschale]]'' [https://archive.org/details/chronicon-p/page/139/mode/1up (Olympiad 340)]</ref>{{sfn|Martindale|1992|pp=859–860}} Tiberius had reportedly prepared a speech on the matter but at this point was too weak to speak. The ''[[quaestor sacri palatii]]'' (the senior judicial official of the empire) read it for him. The speech proclaimed Maurice as ''[[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]'' and sole successor to the throne. On 14 August 582 Tiberius died. Maurice became sole emperor, marrying Constantina in the autumn.{{sfn|Garland|1999}}

Shortly after his ascension the advantage he had gained at the Battle of Constantina was lost when his successor as ''magister militum'' of the east, [[John Mystacon]], was defeated at the River Nymphios by [[Kardarigan (6th century)|Kardarigan]].<ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=166–167}}.</ref> The situation was difficult:{{sfn|Ostrogorsky|1956|pp=74–75}} Maurice ruled a bankrupt Empire;{{sfn|Norwich|1988|p=275}} it was at war with Persia; he was paying extremely high tribute to the [[Pannonian Avars|Avars]], 80,000 gold [[solidi]] a year;{{sfn|Mitchell|2007|p=406}} and the Balkan provinces were being thoroughly devastated by the [[Slavs]].{{sfn|Petersen|2013|p=379}}
[[File:Follis Maurice Constantinople.jpg|thumb|300px|left|''[[Follis]]'' with Maurice in consular uniform]]

Maurice had to continue the war against the Persians. In 586 his troops defeated them at the [[Battle of Solachon]] south of [[Dara (Mesopotamia)|Dara]]. In 588, a mutiny by unpaid Byzantine troops against their new commander, [[Priscus (magister militum)|Priscus]], seemed to offer the Sassanids a chance for a breakthrough, but the mutineers themselves repulsed the ensuing Persian offensive.<ref>{{harvnb|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|p=170}}</ref> Later in the year they secured a [[Battle of Martyropolis (588)|major victory]] before [[Silvan, Diyarbakır|Martyropolis]]. The Sassanid commander, [[Maruzas]], was killed, several of the Persian leaders were captured along with 3,000 other prisoners, and only a thousand men survived to reach refuge at Nisibis. The Byzantines secured much booty, including the Persian battle standards, and sent them, along with Maruzas' head, to Maurice in Constantinople. 

In 590, two [[Parthia]]n brothers, [[Vistahm]] and [[Vinduyih]], overthrew King [[Hormizd IV]] and made the latter's son, Prince [[Khosrow II]], the new king. The former Persian commander-in-chief, [[Bahram Chobin]], [[Sasanian civil war of 589–591|who had rebelled against Hormizd IV]], claimed the throne for himself and defeated Khosrow. Khosrow and the two Parthians fled to the Byzantine court. Although the Senate unanimously advised against it, Maurice helped Khosrow regain his throne with an army of 35,000 men. In 591 the combined Byzantine-Persian army under generals [[John Mystacon]] and [[Narses (magister militum per Orientem)|Narses]] defeated Bahram Chobin's forces near [[Ganzak]] at the [[Battle of the Blarathon]]. The victory was decisive; Maurice finally brought the war to a successful conclusion with the re-accession of Khosrow.{{sfn|Ostrogorsky|1956|p=73}}{{sfn|Norwich|1988|pp=273–274}}

Subsequently, Khosrow was adopted by the emperor in order to seal their alliance. The adoption was made through a rite of ''adoptio per arma'', which ordinarily assumed the Christian character of its partakers.{{sfn|Payne|2015|p=164}} However, the chief Byzantine bishops, "despite their best attempts", failed to convert Khosrow.{{sfn|Payne|2015|p=164}} Khosrow rewarded Maurice by ceding to the empire western [[Armenia]] up to the lakes [[Lake Van|Van]] and [[Lake Sevan|Sevan]], including the large cities of [[Silvan, Diyarbakır|Martyropolis]], [[Tigranocerta|Tigranokert]], [[Manzikert]], [[Ani]], and [[Yerevan]]. Maurice's treaty brought a new status-quo to the east territorially. Byzantium was enlarged to an extent never before achieved by the empire. During the new "perpetual peace" millions of solidi were saved by the remission of tribute to the Persians.{{sfn|Norwich|1988|p=273}}