Mar 29, 2025
As the peace continued to exclude Armenia, in 575 the Persians under Xusro besieged Theodosiopolis and then captured Sebaste and Melitene. In response, the magister militum per Orientem Justinian (son of Germanus and brother of the Justin executed at Alexandria) pursued the Persians to Melitene, capturing many elephants, which were then taken to Constantinople and used for imperial displays. John of Ephesus described how they were trained to make the sign of the cross with their trunks in front of the emperor in the Hippodrome (HE 2.48).
Shout out to the only elephants to escape the fires of Hell
