Page "Justin II" Paragraph 8

The North and East frontiers were the main focus of Justin's attention.

In 572 his refusal to pay tribute to the Persians in combination with overtures to the Turks led to a war with the Sassanid Empire.

After two disastrous campaigns, in which the Persians overran Syria and captured the strategically important fortress of Dara ( Mesopotamia ), Justin reportedly lost his mind.