battle of Samarra
| Battle of Samarra | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Roman-Persian Wars | |||||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||||
| Sassanid Persians | Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders | |||||||||
| Shapur II | Julian the Apostate † | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown; a force comparable to the Byzantine army | 35,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties | |||||||||
| Unknown | Very heavy | ||||||||
| Roman-Persian Wars |
|---|
| Carrhae – Ctesiphon (165) - Ctesiphon (198) – Nisibis – Resaena – Misiche – Barbalissos – Edessa - Singara – Amida – Ctesiphon (363) – Samarra – Iberian War – Lazic War – War of 572-591 – Issus – Constantinople - Nineveh |
The battle of Samarra took place in 363 after the invasion of Sassanid Persia (Iran) by the Romans. Despite this, Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate was killed in this battle.
Context
Julian invaded
The Sassanid army, under Shah Shapur II, implemented a scorched earth policy, and drew the Romans deeper and deeper into Persia, all the while harassing them and inflicting irritating casualties. Julian, realizing that his army could not get resupplied or re-enforced, tried to commence a set piece battle with his enemy, but could not. Eventually, when the battle took place at Samarra, the Persians drove off the Roman forces, and killed Julian in a rear-guard attack during the battle.
Julian's successor, Emperor Jovian, made a successful delay ploy by promising Shapur that he would surrender a total of five Roman provinces, including strategic cities such as Nisibis. Jovian never delivered on this humiliating treaty.
Sources
- Kaveh Farroukh, Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224-642
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