威胁还是福气?——对3~7世纪萨珊波斯与罗马帝国关系的考察

Threat or Blessing?An Investigation of the Relationship between Sassan Persia and the Roman Empire in the 3rd and 7th Century

萨珊波斯帝国与罗马-拜占庭帝国是古代晚期世界的主导性力量,两大帝国之间的交往模式具有冲突与兼容并存的特点。然而,公元5世纪罗马与波斯之间的和平态势与大部分历史时期内双方的剧烈冲突相比更值得我们反思并进行深度的考察。在3~7世纪罗马与波斯关系的演进中,我们往往忽略了双方国内权力格局与统治理念的变迁,而后者才是形塑罗马与波斯对外战略的真正主导因素。从3世纪的"士兵皇帝"时代到5~6世纪的"宫廷皇帝"时代,罗马-拜占庭帝国的军事战略和军功观念发生了明显的转型和变迁,而萨珊帝国内部贵族派系也不断因为波斯在中亚和东地中海两个战略方位上的周期性转换而轮番上台。萨珊帝国固然具备威胁罗马-拜占庭帝国在东方统治的现实能力,但在和平时期也能与罗马-拜占庭帝国共同承担起防御欧亚大草原和阿拉伯游牧民入侵的安全责任。6世纪罗马-波斯和平的破裂具有偶然性,而萨珊帝国内部权力格局的变化以及波斯对现成国际体系的不满和挑战是6世纪后期罗马-波斯战争重启并不断升级乃至最终走向失控的重要原因。

The Sassan Persian Empire and the Roman-Byzantine Empire were the dominant forces in the late ancient world,and the mode of communication between the two empires was characterized by the coexistence of conflict and compatibility.However,compared with the violent conflicts between Rome and Persia in most historical periods,the peaceful situation between Rome and Persia in the 5 th century AD is more worthy of our reflection and in-depth investigation.In the evolution of Roman-Persian relations in the 3 rd-7 th century,we often ignore the changes of the domestic power pattern and ruling ideas of both sides,and the latter is actually the real dominant factor shaping the foreign strategies of Rome and Persia.From the era of"soldier emperor"in the 3 rd century to the era of"court emperor"in the 5 th-6 th century,the military strategy and military concept of the Roman-Byzantine Empire have undergone obvious transformation and change.the aristocratic factions within the Sassanian Empire also came to power in turn because of the periodic transformation of Persia in the strategic directions of Central Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean.Although the Sassanian Empire had the realistic ability to threaten the Roman-Byzantine Empire’s rule in the East,it could also share the security responsibility with the Roman-Byzantine Empire in peacetime to defend against the invasion of Eurasian prairie and Arab nomads.The rupture of the Roman-Persian peace in the 6 th century was accidental,and the change of the power pattern within the Sassanian Empire and Persia’s dissatisfaction and challenge to the ready-made international system were the important reasons why the Roman-Persian war resumed and escalated and finally got out of control after the6 th century.