The most damaging of the wars fought between East Rome and Sasanian Persia brought the classical phase of west Eurasian history to a dramatic close. This book explores the balance of power between the two empires, look at events through Roman, Armenian and Arab eyes, and focuses on the climax of the final conflict in the 620s.

The last, longest and most damaging of the wars fought between East Rome and Sasanian Persia (603-628) brought the classical phase of west Eurasian history to a dramatic close. Despite its evident significance, not least as the distant setting for Muhammad's prophetic mission, this last great war of antiquity attracted comparatively little scholarly attention until the last decades of the twentieth century. James Howard-Johnston's contributions to the subject, most of which were published in out-of-the-way places (one, that on al-Tabari, is printed for the first time), are brought together in convenient form in this volume. They strive to root history in close observation of landscape and monuments as well as careful analysis of texts. They explore the evolving balance of power between the two empires, look at events through Roman, Armenian and Arab eyes, and home in on the climax of the final conflict in the 620s.

Introduction
The two great powers in Late Antiquity: a comparison
Procopius, Roman defences north of the Taurus and the new fortress of Citharizon
Byzantine Anzitene
The official history of Heraclius' Persian campaigns (in memory of L. Sternbach)
Armenian historians of Heraclius: an examination of the aims, sources and working-methods of Sebeos and Movses Daskhurantsi
Al-Tabari on the last great war of Antiquity
The siege of Constantinople in 626
Heraclius' Persian campaigns and the revival of the East Roman Empire, 622-630
Pride and fall: Khusro II and his regime, 626-628. Addenda and corrigenda
Index.