Heraclius vs Mursili II

Heraclius led a revolt from Carthage against the usurper Emperor Phocas. He sailed to Constantinople, where supporters opened the gates. Phocas was captured and executed, and Heraclius was crowned emperor, ending a period of civil strife and military decline.

Heraclius personally led a multi-year campaign against the Sassanid Persian Empire, which had occupied much of Byzantine territory. He defeated Persian forces at the Battle of Nineveh in 627 and recovered the True Cross, restoring Byzantine prestige and ending the war.

Heraclius's forces were decisively defeated by the Rashidun Caliphate at the Battle of Yarmouk. This loss led to the permanent loss of Syria, Palestine, and Egypt to Muslim rule, drastically reducing Byzantine territory and marking the beginning of the Arab-Byzantine wars.

Mursili II launched a decisive campaign against the Arzawa states in western Anatolia. He defeated King Uhha-Ziti and annexed Arzawa territory, ending the Arzawa threat and restoring Hittite dominance in the west.

Mursili II composed a series of prayers to the gods, known as the Plague Prayers, seeking to end a devastating plague that had killed his brother and many subjects. These texts provide insight into Hittite religion and royal ideology.

Mursili II conducted a series of campaigns against the Kaska tribes in the Pontic mountains. He defeated them and secured the northern border of the Hittite heartland, preventing further invasions of Hattusa.

Mursili II suppressed a rebellion led by Piyamaradu, a local ruler in western Anatolia who had allied with the Ahhiyawa (Mycenaeans). The campaign reasserted Hittite control over the region and checked Ahhiyawan influence.