Siege of Sergiopolis (542)

Siege of Sergiopolis
Part of the Lazic War
Ruins of Sergiopolis
Date Spring 542 Location Sergiopolis, Byzantine Empire (now Resafa, Syria) Result Byzantine victory
Belligerents
Byzantine Empire	Sasanian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Khosrow I
Strength
200 [1]	6,000 [2] to 60,000 [3]
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Siege of Sergipolis ^[a] was a siege of the Byzantine fortress of Sergiopolis by the Sasanian army under the command of Khosrow I during the Lazic War. Retreating from the city, the Sassanids headed to Euphratia for their upcoming invasion of Palestine.

Background

Sasanian cavalrymen

When the troops of Belisarius were concentrated in Mesopotamia, Khosrow decided to take advantage of their absence. He invaded the Caucasus and captured the Byzantine fortress of Petra. From here he headed towards Sergiopolis, in order to receive the tribute promised by the local patriarch. ^[4]

Siege

After the siege of the fortress, Khosrow tried to take it by cunning, but a Saracen named Ambros, who served in the Persian army, warned the garrison about the impending trap. Upon learning of the failure of the first plan, the king of the Sassanians sent his entire army to storm the fortress, but the garrison withstood their charge, despite having thoughts of surrendering. Ambros again informed the Byzantines of important information: there was very little food in the Sassanian camp. The next day, the Persian troops, having failed under the walls of the city, left their camp and continued their raid into the territory of Byzantium. ^[5]

Reference

1. Greatrex 1991, p. 110.
2. Dmitriev (2008), p. 73.
3. Decker (2022), p. 180.
4. Greatrex (1991), p. 109-110.
5. Dmitriev (2008), pp. 72–73.

Bibliography

• Dmitriev, V. (2008). Борьба Римской (Византийской) империи и Сасанидского Ирана за преобладание в Передней Азии[The struggle between the Roman (Byzantine) Empire and Sassanid Iran for dominance in Western Asia] (in Russian). Pskov. ISBN   978-5-87854-429-0.
• Greatrex, Geoffrey (1991). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian wars. Part II. 363-630 AD. Routledge. ISBN   0-415-14687-9.
• Decker, Michael J. (2022). The Sasanian empire at War. Persia, Rome and the rise od Islam. Westholme Publishing, LLC. ISBN   978-1-59416-692-1.

Notes

1. Ancient Greek: Πολιορκία της Σεργιόπολης