A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SASSANIDAE. SASSANIDAE. 719
the accession of Bahram. In the province of 19. KOBAD, or COBADES (Kod57]1s), reigned
Arzarene the Persian army under Narses was from A. D. 488 to 498, and again from 501 or 502
completely routed, and the courier (Palladius) till 531. The years from 498 till 502 were filled
brought the joyful tidings in three (?) days from up by the short reign of, 20. JAM1ASPEs or ZAMES.
the Tigris to the Bosporus. The Greeks, however, According to the Eastern authorities, he was the
failed in the siege of Nisibis, and the Persians in brother of Cobades, whom he dethroned, and comtheir turn were driven back from the walls of pelled to fly to the Huns, with whose assistAmida, whose bishop, Acacius, set a generous ance Cobades recovered his throne about 502.
example to the patriotism of its inhabitants. The Cobades divided his kingdom in four great divichief source for the history of this war is an eccle- sions: an eastern, a western, a northern, and a
siastical writer, Socrates, whence we naturally southern, and made many wise regulations. Under
find it mixed up with a great number of wonders him rose the religio-political sect of the Mazdaand marvellous tales, so that we at once proceed kites, so named from Mazdar, their founder, and
to its termination, by the famous peace of one whom we may compare to the modern Communists,
hundred years, which lasted till the twelfth or Socialists. Their principles were democratical,
year of the reign of the emperor Anastasius. This and their rise may be considered as a re-action
peace was negotiated by Maximinus and Proco- against the overwhelming influence of the arisplus on the part of the Greeks, and Bahram bound tocracy. Cobades was for some time an adherent
himself to molest the Christians no further, but of Mazdak, but he afterwards turned against him,
his promise was not strictly kept by his successors. in order to gain the aristocratical party. The
During his reign Armenia was divided between Mazdakites accordingly rose in arms, and offered.the Romans and the Persians, whose portion the diadem to Phtasurus, a son of Cobades, but
received the name of Persarmenia. The latter the king seized their leaders by a stratagem, and
years of the reign of this king were occupied by great numbers of the sectarians were massacred.
great wars against the Huns, Turks, and Indians, Procopius (Bell. Pers. i. 11) says, that Cobades
in which Bahram is said to have achieved those entreated the emperor Justin to adopt his son
valorous deeds for which he has ever since con- Khosrew or Chosroes, afterwards Nushirwan, in
tinued to be a favourite hero in Persian poetry. order thus to secure the succession to him through
The Eastern writers relate several stories of him, the assistance of the Romans. But this smacks
some of which are contained in Malcolm's work very much of the tale of Arcadius having apquoted below, to whom we refer the student, for pointed king Yesdigerd the guardian of his son
they are well worth reading. Bahram was acci- Theodosius. The same author relates that Cobadentally drowned in a deep well together with his des had four sons, Cuases, Zames, Chosroes, and
horse, and neither man nor beast ever rose again Phtasurus, whence it would seem as if the above
from the fathomless pit. This is historical, and Jamaspes or Zanies had rebelled against his father,
the well was visited by Sir John Malcolm, and and not against his brother. But as Cobades
proved fatal to a soldier of his retinue. reigned forty-three years, it seems incredible that
15. YEzoDIJIRD II., the son of the preceding, he should have had an adult son at the beginning
reigned from A. D. 448 till 458. He was surnamed of his reign, and this is an additional reason to
" SIPAHDOST," or " The Soldier's Friend." The put greater confidence in the Eastern writers in
persecutions against the Christians were renewed matters of genealogy. We' now proceed to the
by him with unheard of cruelty, especially in great war between Cobades and the emperor
Persarmenia, where 700 Magi discharged the Anastasius. It appears that according to the
duties of missionaries with sword in hand. The terms of the peace of one hundred years concluded
Armenians nevertheless resisted bravely, and between Theodosius the Younger and Bahram V.,
Christianity, though persecuted, was never rooted the Romans were obliged to pay annually a certain
out. His relations with Rome were peaceful. sum of money to the Persian king, and Cobades
16. HORMuZ, or HORMISDAS III., and 17. FI- having sent in his request for the purpose, was
ROES, OrPEROSES (rIepo'(v,lEPEd~om, I,orn Epoo'IT-s), answered by Anastasius, that he would lend
sons of the preceding, claimed the succession, and him money, but would not pay any. Cobades
rose in arms against each other. Peroses gained the declared war, and his arms were victorious. The
throne by the assistance of the White Huns, against Roman generals Hypacius anid Patricius Phrygius
whom he turned his sword in after years. He pe- were defeated, the fortified toswns in Mesopotamia
rished in a great battle with them in 484, or as were conquered by the Persians, and even the
late as 488, together with all of his sons except great fortress of Amida was carried by storm, its
Kobad, or, perhaps, only some of them. Peroses was inhabitants becoming the victims to the fury of the
accompanied on this expedition by an ambassador of besiegers. Arabic and Hunnic hordes served under
the emperor Zeno. (Procop. Bell. Pers. i. 3-6.) the Persian banner. The Huns, however, turned
18. PALASH or PALLAS (n;iX;as), who reigned against Cobades,'and made so powerful a diversion
from A. D. 484 till 488, was, according to the in the North, that he listened to the proposals of
Eastern writers, a son of Peroses, and had to con- Anastasius, to whom he granted peace in 505, on
test the throne with Cobades, who was a son of receiving 11,000 pounds of gold as an* indemnity.
Peroses, according to both Eastern and Western He also restored Mesopotamia and his other consources. Terrible internal revolutions took place quests to the Romans, being unable to maintain
during his short reign. The Christians were no his authority there on account of the protracted
longer persecuted because they were not fire wor- war with the HIuns. Abomut this time the Romans
shippers. However, the Nestorians only were pro- constructed the fortress of Dara, the strongest bultected, and the other Christians were compelled to wark against Persia, and situated in the very face
become Nestorians if they would live in peace. of Ctesiphon, on the spot where the traveller
Pallas perished in a battle with his brother descends from the mountainous portion of Mesopo(Cobades ill 488. tamnia into the plains of the South. Cobades, iu