Chosroes II

   Persian king (590-628); the grandson of Chosroes I (q.v.). He inherited a war with Byzantium (q.v.) that was begun in 572 and fought mainly over control of Armenia (q.v.). The war ended in 591 after Maurice (q.v.) intervened in a civil war in Persia (q.v.) to put Chosroes II on the throne. The resulting treaty was advantageous to Byzantium, for it ended the annual tribute to Persia (q.v.), ceded to Byzantium much of Persian Armenia and eastern Mesopotamia (q.v.), and returned two important frontier towns, Dara and Martyropolis (qq.v.). However, war erupted again when Phokas (q.v.) overthrew Maurice in 602. Chosroes II invaded Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor (qq.v.), allegedly to revenge the death of Maurice. When Heraklios (q.v.) came to power in 610, the war continued in Persia's favor until Heraklios launched a counteroffensive in 622 that ended in the destruction of Persia's army at the battle of Ninevah in 627. Chosroes II was overthrown and murdered the following year.