The motives of the conspirators are not addressed in primary sources. James Evans suggests they could be traced to the grievances of the business world with Emperor Justinian. The Lazic War against the Sassanid Empire had recently ended, and the peace terms required the Byzantines to pay an annual sum of 30,000 solidi to the Sassanids. However, the first seven years were to be paid in advance, and an estimated 2,900 gold pounds had to be delivered at once. Emperor Justinian required the businessmen to pay the money to the state in a form of a forced loan. The Byzantine treasury was reportedly crushed by debts and was still empty when Emperor Justin II (r. 565–578) rose to the throne.