Kavad I was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 488 to 531, with a two or three-year interruption. A son of Peroz I, he was crowned by the nobles to replace his deposed and unpopular uncle Balash.
Plate of a Sasanian king hunting rams, perhaps Kavad I
15th-century Shahnameh illustration of the defeat and death of Peroz I.
Drachma of Kavad during his first reign, minted at Hormizd-Ardashir.
Drachma of Jamasp (r. 496–498/9).
The Anastasian War was fought from 502 to 506 between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire. It was the first major conflict between the two powers since 440, and would be the prelude to a long series of destructive conflicts between the two empires over the next century.
Roman and Persian Empires in 500, also showing their neighbors, many of whom were dragged into wars between the great powers.