Mahbod (envoy)

Mahbod (also known as Mebodes), was a 6th-century Iranian ambassador and military officer from the House of Suren, who was active during the reign of the Sasanian shahanshahs Khosrow I (r. 531–579) and Hormizd IV (r. 579–590).

[2][3] After an Iranian proposal of a five-year truce was rejected by emperor Tiberius II Constantine (r. 578–582) in 574/575, Mahbod sent Tamkhosrow to raid the surroundings of the fortress of Dara.

[2][4] In 576,[2] when Mahbod held the title of Sar-nakhveraghan ("chief of the governors"),[1] he was sent by Khosrow I to negotiate peace with the Byzantine emissaries Theodorus, Ioannes, Petrus and Zacharias.

The meeting took place in Athraelon, on the outskirts of Dara, and negotiations dragged on until 577, due to both parties blaming each other for start of the war.

[2][6] In 579, the newly ascended shahanshah Hormizd IV (r. 579–590) sent Mahbod to interrogate and dismiss the Byzantine emissaries Zacharias and Theodorus from the Iranian court.