advancing in strength and drawing nearer to the confines of Persia. They
had extended their dominion over the great Ephthalite kingdom, partly by
force of arms, partly through the treachery of Katulphus, an Ephthalite
chieftain; they had received the submission of the Sogdians, and
probably of other tribes of the Transoxianian region, previously held in
subjection by the Ephthalites; and they aspired to be acknowledged as a
great power, the second, if not the first, in this part of Asia. It was
perhaps rather with the view of picking a quarrel than in the hope
of any valuable pacific result, that, about the close of A.D. 567,
Diza-bul, the Turkish Khan, sent ambassadors to Chosroes with proposals
for the establishment of free commercial intercourse between the Turks
and Persians, and even for the conclusion of a treaty of friendship and
alliance between the two nations. Chosroes suspected the motive for the
overture, but was afraid openly to reject it. He desired to discourage
intercourse between his own nation and the Turks, but could devise
no better mode of effecting his purpose than by burning the Turkish
merchandise offered to him after he had bought it, and by poisoning the
ambassadors and giving out that they had fallen victims to the climate.
His conduct exasperated the Turkish Khan, and created a deep and bitter
hostility between the Turks and Persians. It was at once resolved to
send an embassy to Constantinople and offer to the Greek emperor the
friendship which Chosroes had scorned. The embassy reached the Byzantine
court early in A.D. 568, and was graciously received by Justin, the
nephew of Justinian, who had succeeded his uncle on the imperial throne
between three and four years previously. A treaty of alliance was made
between the two nations; and a Roman embassy, empowered to ratify it,
visited the Turkish court in the Altai mountains during the course
of the next year (A.D. 569), and drew closer the bonds of friendship
between the high contracting powers. But meanwhile Dizabul, confident in
his own strength, had determined on an expedition into Persia. The Roman