COSROE (Husrav) II, PERSIAN EMPEROR. — Called the Victor. He reigned from 590 to 628. At the beginning of his reign, both because of his friendship toward the emperor Maurizio and because of the influence of his Christian wives, he was rather benevolent toward Christians. In 596 he had Sabrišō' elected katholikós; the latter always enjoyed imperial favor and even accompanied C. in his first campaigns against the Byzantines. After Sabrišō' died, C. ordered a certain Gregorio to be elected as his successor (605); he seemed suited to putting an end to the disagreements between Nestorians and Monophysites, the latter rallying around Hēnānā. At C.’s wish, the see of Seleucia-Ctesiphon remained vacant from Gregorio’s death (609) until his own. Each faction then organized its own hierarchy.
In 604 C. declared war on the usurper Foca under the pretext of avenging Maurizio. After occupying Dara, C. easily conquered Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. Despite the death of Foca and the accession of Eraclio to the throne, C. continued the struggle. In 611 he occupied Caesarea of Cappadocia, and during the summer of 614 he entered Jerusalem, which was barbarously devastated. Particularly grievous was the burning of the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and the seizure of the True Cross, subsequently carried off to Persia together with an immense booty of sacred furnishings. The imperial goldsmith, the Christian Jazdān, saved the Cross from destruction. Up to this point C. had not persecuted Christians. When, however, in 627 and 628 ERACLIANO (v.), victorious, entered Persia, C. harassed both the Monophysites and the Nestorians. Jazdān was tortured and killed on C.’s orders. This was the signal for the revolt led by C.’s son Šērōe. C., deposed, was in turn killed by one of Jazdān’s sons.