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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;nerosmyfavorite68, post: 25324141, member: 134416&quot;][ATTACH=full]1618311[/ATTACH] </p><p>I won&#039;t have time on Tuesday for a write-up, so here goes.&nbsp; I present a relatively uncleaned silver drachm of Khrusru II, King of Kings of Iran and Non-Iran, who reigned from 591-628.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The Sasanian/Sassanian kingdom was a successor state to the Parthians, and the Sasanians lasted from 224-651.&nbsp; The most aggressive and successful of the post-Achaemenid states, the Sasanians gave the Romans a lot of headaches.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Eastern Roman emperor Maurice helped Khrusru II come to power and the Romans gained Armenia in exchange.&nbsp; Peaceful relations existed until Maurice was overthrown in 602.&nbsp; The Persians used this pretext to declare war, and over the course of the inept reign of Phocas (602-610), the Persians began to annex territory.</p><p><br /></p><p>After the Roman civil war and Heraclius (610-641) came to power, the Persians kicked it into overdrive, occupying Syria, Egypt, and much of Anatolia, regaining about 85% of the old Persian Empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Against overwhelming odds, Heraclius slowly cobbled together an army and went on the offensive, and through clever tactics managed to win the war.&nbsp; It&#039;s probably Heraclian propaganda, but Heraclius produced a letter in which Khrusru addressed him as, &quot;My vile, imbecile slave.&quot;&nbsp; Khrusru was overthrown by the nobles in 628 and sent off to the Castle of Oblivion (people just had more style then).</p><p><br /></p><p>The 20 year war exhausted both countries and Heraclius lived too long.&nbsp; He went from vast triumph in 630 to losing virtually all of the regained territory to the Muslims (the rise of Islam happened then) by the end of his reign.</p><p><br /></p><p>Khrusru II was arguably the most successful of the Sasanian kings in terms of territory, but while the Eastern Roman empire survived as a rump state, the Sasanians were gone by 651.</p><p><br /></p><p>I may be wrong, but I think the Sasanians were the first to refer to their realm as Iran.</p><p><br /></p><p>These are mostly common, inexpensive coins, but I have always thought the coins of Khrusru II were the neatest.&nbsp; The &#039;skeletal&#039;, fat-face portraits start during the high point of Khrusru&#039;s reign.</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh, and while the Romans were down to about a 5% &#039;silver&#039; coin by 260, the Sasanians maintained a nearly pure silver standard throughout.&nbsp; It helped to be on the Silk Road.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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