tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16218624.post3160771895842219807..comments2023-11-03T05:27:32.648-04:00Comments on Xibalba: xibalbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00224952131898257723noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16218624.post-54530097917593731792011-11-16T17:12:35.238-05:002011-11-16T17:12:35.238-05:00Thank you for your comment but your comment prober...Thank you for your comment but your comment proberly belongs with one of my earlier Justinian postings and not this one.<br /><br />I also do not believe that Justinian I was responsible for the Muslim conquests. After all who could have predicted Mohammed?<br /><br />However in my opinion justinian weakened the empire in relation by his useless, costly conquests in relation to the slavs and Persians. <br /><br />Atributing the collapse entirely to Phocus' usurpation ignores that the Emopire had and would in the future have many such usurpations, just why in this particualr case the Byzantine military system collapsed so abjectly requires an explanation and the simple act of usurpation fails to do it. Frankly I suspect deep seated systemic and institutional weaknesses.<br /><br />As for an equilibrium with Persia, that was to a large extend the result of Persia being distracted by vicious wars with the Turks and certain dynastic problems. When Khuro Ii was able to concentrate Persian military might against the Byzantines the result was disater for the Byzantines.<br /><br />As for the war itself. The accounts are shoddy and dubious. I strongly suspect that Heraclius' military achievements were dressed up by the accounts. Since Heraclius seemed to have done very little, it seems, for ten years after becoming Emperor i suspect the problems were deep and terrible that he had to deal with. Further I have given up trying to make sense of them, they are pathetic and a scandal.<br /><br />As for Heraclius defeating the Persians. Well the accounts are very, very poor. Perhaps you have not heard of the account that claims that even after Heraclius' alleged crowning mercy in the battle of Ninevah the Persians retained Syrian and Egypt and Libya and only gave them up when the Persian general Shahr made a bid for the Persian throne and made a deal with Heraclius in exchange for his support.<br /><br />As I said above I don't give this version of events anymore credence than any other. This entire time period is stunningly opaque.<br /><br />I agree that the mutual exhaustion of both empires played a role in the Arab conquests. Although I suspect the Byzantine reforms instituted by Heraclius probably with the "trifle" that enabled the Byzantine empire despite the loss of much territory to survive. Persia due to dynastic instability and other factors was unable to do so and collapsed.xibalbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00224952131898257723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16218624.post-7971798289472875532011-11-16T09:40:11.795-05:002011-11-16T09:40:11.795-05:00I wouldn't blame Justinian for the Islamic con...I wouldn't blame Justinian for the Islamic conquests. Byzantium and Persia were in relative equilibrium for decades after his death, it was more the usurpation of Phokas and subsequent instability that allowed Khusro II to gain so much territory - and Herakleios still beat him back. And that long Byzantine-Persian war weakened both empires just before the Arabs started their conquests.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com