Battle of Anglon
Battle of Anglon | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Lazic War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
| Sasanian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Nabedes | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
All forces of the praesentalis[3] | Sasanian forces of Persarmenia | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
30,000 (20,000+ engaged) | 4,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Heavy | Unknown |
The Battle of Anglon took place in 543 AD, during the Byzantine (East Roman) invasion of Sasanian-ruled Armenia ("Persarmenia").
After receiving the news of a rebellion in Persia and an epidemic in King Khosrow I's army, the Byzantine armies in the East under the orders of Emperor Justinian I initiated a hasty invasion of Persarmenia. The outnumbered Persian forces in the region performed a meticulous ambush at the mountainous fortress of Anglon, decisively defeating the Byzantine forces in a siege-like confrontation.
Background
The Sasanian ruler Khosrow I began an invasion of Commagene in 542, but retreated to Adurbadagan and halted at Adhur Gushnasp, intending to begin a campaign against Byzantine Armenia. The Romans had been negotiating with Khosrow I, until they received information about the epidemic of the so-called Plague of Justinian in Khosrow I's force and a rebellion in Persia by the prince Anoshazad. Seeing this as an opportunity, Emperor Justinian I ordered all Roman forces in the East to invade Sasanian Armenia.[4]
Roman invasion
- Martin and his forces, stationed in Citharizum with Ildeger and Theoctistus
- Peter and Adolius and their forces
- Heruls(under Philemouth and Verus) and Armenians
The target of the offensive was Dvin, the capital of Sasanian Armenia. The city was an important commercial center in the region, and it had ample supplies and was suitable for cavalry action. Besides, it was the place where the Christian envoys came from who were likely to switch to the Roman side. According to Syvänne, the Catholicos and his brother may have planned the operation together with Valerian.[7]
Persian forces in Persarmenia numbered 4,000 and were under the command of
The Roman forces united only after crossing the Persian border, in the plain of Dvin. It probably numbered more than 20,000. Peter advanced first, probably as a vanguard.[7] The Romans had been marching in strict formations, but as soon as they found out that the Persians are concentrated in Anglon, they spread out to plunder.[13] According to Procopius, the Roman generals lacked a proper union among themselves (cf. #Analysis). One day's march from Anglon, a captured Persian spy told the Romans that Nabedes has fled. As the Roman forces proceeded into the rough terrain of Anglon, they probably assumed that Persians are hiding in the fortifications. Soon Roman scouts informed their commanders of the presence of a Persian army in the open. Upon receiving this news, the Roman army hastily formed a single-line formation. Martin's forces formed the center, Peter's forces formed the right, and Valerian's forces (probably joined by Narses and his Heruls and Armenians) formed the left. The formation was imperfect due to roughness of the terrain and the fact that it was formed on the spur of the moment. The Persians were arranged in a small space. Nabedes had ordered them not to begin fighting unless after being attacked.[4][14][15][16][13][7]
Analysis
The only source describing the battle is the Roman historian Procopius, whose account is especially critical of the Roman army's performance in the campaign.[15] However, modern sources have disputed his assessments.
The force in the battle is considered an example of the "inadequacy" of many of the recruited soldiers.[17] Others note the lack of coordination between the Roman generals.[5] However, according to J. B. Bury, Procopius (who was a companion of General Belisarius) has exaggerated the incompetence of the Roman generals in this campaign and the severity of their defeat.[4] Petersen, too, considers aspects of Procopius' description of the battle—including the division of the Roman army and their staggered deployment—to be a distorted description of what were actually intentional military strategies and tactics in face of logistical constraints and the need for mutually supportive columns. The soldiers "mixed in with the baggage train" were probably protecting valuable siege equipment and supplies. Despite Procopius' assessment that the force was poorly organized and led, the Romans in fact managed to swiftly deploy to face the Persian army in the field and defeat them in the first encounter.[15] Sarantis et al. (2013) focuses on the meticulous ambush by the defenders, describing it as "heroic".[18]
Anglon is an example of the less common form of defensive fortification in which settlements are outside the defensive structures; this is sometimes seen in the Caucasus. Another example is seen in the siege of Tzacher/Sideroun in 557.[19]
The outcome of the battle gave the Persians momentum in the Lazic War.[7]
References
- ISBN 9780198662778, retrieved 2019-11-16
- ISBN 9789004310384.
- ISBN 9781407301617.
- ^ a b c d e Bury, John Bagnell (1889). A History of the Later Roman Empire: From Arcadius to Irene (395 A.D. to 800 A.D.). Macmillan and Company. p. 432–437.
- ^ ISBN 9781119099000.
- ^ Procopius, History of the Wars, Book II, Chapter 25
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4738-9529-4.
- ISBN 978-0-486-20399-7.
- ^ Oriental Translation Fund. 1830. p. 95.
- ^ The Eclectic review. vol. 1-New [8th]. 1833. p. 293.
- ^ Smith, William; Wace, Henry (1882). A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines: Hermogenes-Myensis. 693a: Little, Brown.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ISBN 978-90-04-25446-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-25446-6.
- ^ a b The Seventh Great Oriental Monarchy: Or the Geography, History and Antiquities of the Sassanian Or New Persian Empire. Belford, Clarke. 1887. pp. 64–65.
- ^ ISBN 9789004254466.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-25446-6.
- ^ Krumbacher, Karl; Marc, Paul; Heisenberg, August (2005). Byzantinische Zeitschrift (in German). G.G. Teubner. p. 70.
- ISBN 9789004252585.
- ISBN 9789004254466.