Khosrow II Parviz vs Nerva

Khosrow II Parviz ascended the throne after the overthrow of his father Hormizd IV. His reign began amid civil war, as the general Bahram Chobin had declared himself king, forcing Khosrow to flee to the Byzantine Empire.

Khosrow II secured military support from the Byzantine Emperor Maurice to reclaim his throne. With a Byzantine army, he defeated Bahram Chobin and was restored as king, ceding territory in Armenia and Mesopotamia to the Byzantines in return.

During the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628, Khosrow II's forces captured Jerusalem after a siege. They seized the relic of the True Cross and took it to Ctesiphon, a major symbolic and religious blow to the Byzantine Empire.

Khosrow II's armies conquered Egypt, the breadbasket of the Byzantine Empire. This occupation cut off grain supplies to Constantinople and brought the Sasanian Empire to its greatest territorial extent, stretching from the Indus to the Nile.

The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius launched a counter-offensive and defeated the Sasanian army at the Battle of Nineveh. This victory allowed the Byzantines to advance towards Ctesiphon, leading to the collapse of Khosrow's conquests.

Following the military disaster, Khosrow II was overthrown in a palace coup led by his son Kavad II. He was imprisoned and executed, and Kavad II immediately sued for peace with the Byzantines, ending the war.

After the assassination of Domitian, the Roman Senate elected Nerva as emperor. He was the first of the Five Good Emperors, chosen for his moderate and experienced governance.

Nerva introduced economic reforms including land distribution to the poor, reduction of taxes, and a program to purchase grain for distribution. These measures aimed to alleviate financial strain on the state and citizens.

Facing opposition from the Praetorian Guard and military unrest, Nerva adopted Trajan, a popular general, as his son and successor. This established the principle of adoption based on merit, ensuring a stable succession.