odore ▁Syn k ell os ▁calls ▁him ▁" the ▁general " ▁( str ateg os ), ▁possibly ▁imp lying ▁that ▁he ▁held ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁mag ister ▁milit um ▁pra esent alis . ▁Modern ▁scholar ly ▁opinion ▁is ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁cases ; ▁thus ▁the ▁Pro s op ography ▁of ▁the ▁Later ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁Walter ▁Ka eg i ▁support ▁the ▁latter ▁th esis , ▁while ▁John ▁H ald on ▁not ably ▁supports ▁the ▁former . ▁ ▁By ▁ 6 2 6 , ▁Her ac lius ▁had ▁scored ▁several ▁vict ories ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁and ▁revers ed ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁situation ▁in ▁his ▁favour , ▁but ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁general ▁Sh ahr bar az ▁was ▁still ▁enc amp ed ▁with ▁his ▁army ▁in ▁western ▁Asia ▁Minor , ▁close ▁to ▁Constantin ople . ▁At ▁this ▁jun ct ure , ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁understanding ▁with ▁the ▁Av ars , ▁raising ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁a ▁combined ▁sie ge ▁of ▁Constantin ople . ▁To ▁that ▁end , ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁advanced , ▁took ▁and ▁raz ed ▁Chal ced on , ▁opposite ▁the ▁By z antine ▁capital , ▁and ▁await ed ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Av ars . ▁Emperor ▁Her ac lius , ▁having ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁threat ▁to ▁his ▁capital , ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁return ▁in ▁person ; ▁instead , ▁he ▁sent ▁advice ▁and ▁rein for c ements ▁to ▁Bon us , ▁who ▁proceeded ▁to ▁strength en ▁the ▁city ▁walls ▁and ▁gather ▁prov isions . ▁ ▁The ▁A var ▁army ▁arrived ▁before ▁the