From the years 540 to 562, the Eastern Roman Empire under Justinian was engaged in a drawn out struggle against the Sassanid Persians under Chosroes (Khosrow).  This contest is usually called the “Persian War.”  Many illuminating incidents that happened during this conflict I have used in previous articles here.  Another one highlights the need for redundancy and “back-up” systems as security in times of trouble.  We are aware of this principle when it comes to computing and software, but it can be applied to many other fields of activity.  The following story demonstrates this principle.

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