The Persian army marches up the River…

The Persian army marches up the River Euphrates and follows a path to extract tributes from towns along the way to Antioch, the Empire’s third largest city.

Following the devastation of the earthquake of 526, Justinian I had renamed Antioch Theopolis ("City of God") and restored many of its public buildings.

The city had suffered another earthquake in 539, but the destructive work is completed by Khosrau I, who captures Antioch after a fierce siege, and systematically plunders the city to the extent that marble statues and mosaics are transported to Persia.

Antioch loses as many as three hundred thousand people.

For that the short time that he holds the city, Khosrau will take care, however, to protect the rights of Christian and Jewish minorities.