562 Fifty years’ peace with Persia. Narses continues his victorious career in Italy. 565 Death of Justinian. FROM JUSTIN II TO THE DEPOSITION OF JUSTINIAN II (565-695 A.D.) 565 =Justin II= succeeds Justinian I. He determines to change Justinian’s unpopular system and refuses payment to an embassy of Avars, which is the cause of serious depredations in the provinces. 567 The Gepid kingdom overthrown by Lombards and Avars. 568 Lombard invasion of Italy. 571 Birth of Mohammed. 572 War breaks out with the Persians. They make several important conquests, and 574 Justin, realising his inability to govern, makes Tiberius, the captain of the guard, cæsar. 575 Peace with Persia. 576 Battle of Melitene. The Romans reach the Caspian Sea. 578 Justin dies. =Tiberius= emperor. 581 The imperial army led by Maurice defeats the Persians at Constantina. 582 =Maurice= elected emperor. Death of Tiberius. 584 Treaty with the Avars, whose depredations have become very serious. 586 Roman victory at Solachon. 589 Persian victory at Martyropolis. Slavonic colonies begin to settle in the Peloponnesus. 590 Maurice crowns his son Theodosius at Easter. Rebellion of Vaharan of Persia, who deposes Hormisdas or Hormuz. 591 Maurice puts Chosroes II on the Persian throne. He proceeds against the Avar invasion of Thrace. 602 Rebellion in the army. =Phocas=, the centurion, made emperor. Maurice put to death. 603 War with Persia breaks out. 604 Treaty of peace with the Avars. 606-608 Disastrous invasion of Asia Minor by the Persians. They advance to Chalcedon. 609 Revolts in Africa and Alexandria. 610 =Heraclius=, son of the governor of Africa, accomplishes the overthrow and death of Phocas. 614 The Persian War continues. Damascus captured. 615 Jerusalem taken by the Persians. 616 Persian invasion of Egypt. 617 Occupation of Chalcedon by the Persians. Heraclius contemplates moving to Carthage. 620 Peace made with Avars who have attempted to seize the emperor. 622 Heraclius takes command in person of the Persian War. 622-628 The war is vigorously conducted. Campaigns in Cappadocia, Pontus, Armenia, Cilicia, and Assyria, ending 628 with treaty of peace with Siroes. 629 Heraclius restores the holy cross to Jerusalem. 632 Death of Mohammed. 633 The Mohammedan conquests begin. The imperial cities fall before them in the following order: Bosra (634), Damascus (635), Emesa, Heliopolis, Antioch, Chalcis, Berœa, Edessa (636), Jerusalem (637). 638 Constantine, the king’s son, fails in an attempt to recover Syria. Mesopotamia lost to the Mohammedans. 639 Amru invades Egypt.