The Two Fifth-Century Wars Between Rome and Persia

The fifth century was in general a peaceful period for Rome’s eastern frontier. On just two occasions was this peace disturbed, and only one of these involved significant campaigning. Perhaps because of this comparative lack of conflict between Rome and Persia, these two occasions have attracted considerable scholarly attention. The account of the church historian Theodoret of Cyrrhus has been at the centre of this discussion, and will be dealt with in detail below. This article will look first at Theodoret’s account, and the problems arising from it, and then at the treatment of the wars by ancient authorities generally. First, however, it would be worth considering briefly the background and course of the two wars.