The Role of the Magi/Mowbed in Sassanid-Byzantine Relations

The Byzantine and Sassanid Empires were at war with each other in late antiquity, which led to significant conflicts. The 7th-century conflicts were particularly significant, as they led to the Sassanid Empire’s exhaustion. These wars are regarded by historians as the Last Great War of Antiquity. Religion was one of the determining factors in the centuries-long political and military struggle between the two great powers. As a result of the religious policies pursued by the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Zoroastrian Sassanid Empire, the Zoroastrian and Christian clergy played an active role in the relations. The role of the clergy can also be traced in the religious struggles that took place in the buffer zones between the two states. The Sassanid Empire was a religious State from the moment it was founded, and Zoroastrianism continued to dominate. The Zoroastrian clergy, on the other hand, had an influence on almost all levels and decisions of the state. Magi/Mowbed priests were not very involved in diplomatic missions. However, their political influence in the internal affairs of the Sassanid state was clear. Christians, living as citizens of both states, were involved as an international political factor in Byzantine and Sassanid relations. The Christian bishops were even directly involved in the diplomatic activities of the Sassanids. When the ancient sources are analyzed, it is understood that the clergy had an influential role in the politics of the states in the relations of the two great powers that lasted for centuries. This study will examine how Magi/Mowbed priests influenced political decisions in the Sassanid-Byzantine struggle, what roles they assumed, and how they managed relations with Byzantium in the light of ancient sources and modern studies.