Arsaces () was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

conspirator against Emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

(). He was the instigator of Artabanes's

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

. The main source about him is

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea (; ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; ; – 565) was a prominent Late antiquity, late antique Byzantine Greeks, Greek scholar and historian from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman general Belisarius in Justinian I, Empe ...

Biography

Arsaces was an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

and a descendant of the

Arsacid dynasty of Armenia The Arsacid dynasty, called the Arshakuni () in Armenian, ruled the Kingdom of Armenia (with some interruptions) from 12 to 428 AD. The dynasty was a branch of the Arsacid dynasty of Parthia. Arsacid kings reigned intermittently throughout the ...

. He was also a kinsman of the general Artabanes, though the exact relation is not recorded.. At some point, Arsaces established correspondence with

Khosrau I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; ), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ("the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 531 to 579. He was the son and successor of Kavad I (). Inheriting a rei ...

(), ruler of the

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

. He was caught by imperial authorities and accused of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

. He was convicted, but Emperor

() reserved for him a relatively mild punishment. Arsaces was sentenced to a public

flagellation Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, Birching, rods, Switch (rod), switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, floggin ...

, while paraded through the streets of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

on the back of a

camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...

. The punishment was aimed to leave him physically unharmed but humiliated. Arsaces was not grateful to Emperor Justinian, holding a grudge. Procopius does not mention the date or context of the events. Modern historians suggest it was part of the early phases of the

Lazic War The Lazic War, also known as the Colchidian War or in Georgian historiography as the Great War of Egrisi, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire for control of the ancient Georgia (country), Georgian region of Lazica. The ...

(541–562). Arsaces became the instigator of a conspiracy against the

Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

in 548. The plot formed shortly following the death of Theodora on June 28, 548. He first approached his kinsman Artabanes, who had his own reasons to be dissatisfied with Emperor Justinian. He previously had the ambition to marry

Praejecta Praejecta or Praiecta (Greek: Πραιέκτα) was sister to Byzantine emperor Justin II and a niece to Justinian I (r. 527–565). Biography Praejecta was a daughter of Vigilantia and Dulcidio (or Dulcissimus), respectively the sister and brothe ...

, niece of the Byzantine emperor. However, Theodora had thwarted this plan and Praejecta had married another man. Arsaces was able to turn this dissatisfaction to hatred. Chanaranges, "a young and frivolous Armenian" was also recruited. His motivations are not recorded. The name probably derives from

Kanarang The ''kanārang'' () was a unique title in the Sasanian military, given to the commander of the Sasanian Empire's northeasternmost frontier province, Abarshahr (encompassing the cities of Nishapur, Tus and Abiward). In Byzantine sources, it is ...

, a military title of the Sassanid Empire. He should probably not be confused with his contemporary, the Chanaranges who took part in the Gothic War (535–554). Arsaces reportedly planned to take advantage of the personal habits of Emperor Justinian. The Byzantine emperor spent his nights "till late hours" in study of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. He was surrounded by elderly

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, ...

instead of guards. The conspirators could take advantage of this lax security. However, the conspirators first needed to gain more support. They attempted to recruit members of Emperor Justinian's own family: Germanus and his sons

Justin Justin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527) ...

and

Justinian Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

. Arsaces approached Justin and attempted to convince him about the reasons to eliminate Emperor Justinian. He discussed how the Byzantine emperor "ill-treated and passed over his relatives". He also pointed

Belisarius BelisariusSometimes called Flavia gens#Later use, Flavius Belisarius. The name became a courtesy title by the late 4th century, see (; ; The exact date of his birth is unknown. March 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under ...

as a threat to them. This did not have the desired effect. Immediately, Justin informed his father, and he in turn informed the ''

comes excubitorum The Excubitors ( or , , i.e. 'sentinels'; transcribed into Greek language, Greek as , ) were founded in as an imperial guard-unit by the Byzantine emperor Leo I the Thracian. The 300-strong force, originally recruited from among the warlike moun ...

'' Marcellus. In order to find out more of their intentions, Germanus met the conspirators in person, while a trusted aide of Marcellus was concealed nearby and listened in. Although Marcellus hesitated to inform Emperor Justinian without further proof, eventually he revealed the conspiracy to the Byzantine emperor. Justinian ordered the conspirators imprisoned and questioned, but they were otherwise treated remarkably leniently. Artabanes was stripped of his offices and confined to the palace under guard, but was soon pardoned.; . The further fate of Arsaces is not recorded.

References

Sources

* *{{Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, volume=3, url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=cpMHT5DKJeLt0gGl9oi9Ag&id=110PAQAAMAAJ 6th-century Byzantine people Byzantine people of Armenian descent Byzantine people of Iranian descent Byzantine rebels 6th-century Armenian people Justinian I