World History › Section H · Empires of faith › Topic H.2
The Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Persia
For four centuries two great powers faced each other across Mesopotamia: the Christian Roman Empire of Constantinople and the Zoroastrian empire of the Sasanian Persians. This topic compares them, from Justinian's ambitions to the exhausting war that left both open to new conquerors.
In this topic
- Romans who spoke Greek
- Justinian and Theodora
- Law and the Great Church
- Reconquest and plague
- Worked example: two faces of Procopius
- From Parthia to the Sasanians
- Sasanian state and faith
- Rivals and equals
- The last great war, 602-628
- Worked example: how the war opened the door
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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