Siege of Edessa (544)
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The siege of Edessa (then known as Justinopolis) occurred in 544 AD during an invasion of the Byzantine Empire ruled by Justinian I by the Sasanian Empire under Khosrow I in the midst of the ongoing Lazic War in the north. The city withstood the fierce siege. Due to the religious nature of the city, some Christian traditions have attributed the result of the conflict to divine intervention.
Background
In the midst of the initial phase of the
The siege
After a minor skirmish which ended in a stalemate, the Sasanians offered the Byzantines to buy peace, but the negotiations failed as the Byzantines rejected the condition of giving up all the wealth inside the fortifications.[2]
On the eighth day, the Sasanians began constructing a large mound (in Latin:
Meanwhile, the Byzantines were tunneling to reach the middle of the mound, and although a first tunnel was discovered, the Byzantines eventually managed to set fire to the mound from beneath using sulfur, bitumen, and wood. After unsuccessful attempts to extinguish the fire, the entire mound was eventually consumed by fire and the Sasanians abandoned it.[2]
A surprise Sasanian assault using ladders at dawn, and another assault against the "Great Gate" later in the day were defeated. The Sasanians then announced that Rhecinarius, the envoy from Emperor Justinian I to arrange the peace treaty, had arrived. As the envoy entered the city, the Byzantines refused to begin negotiations immediately. Khosrow I then encircled the city with all the army and siege equipment. The ensuing assault initially favored the Sasanians, but it eventually failed and Khosrow I ordered a withdrawal. The Sasanian contingent under
Another Sasanian assault against another one of the gates two days later was also unsuccessful, and then an armistice was agreed upon as the Edessanes paid 5 centenaria (500 pounds) of gold.[2]
Aftermath
A five-year truce was agreed between the Sasanians and the Byzantines a year later in 545.
Some Christian traditions attribute the successful defense to the Image of Edessa, a holy relic that was kept in the city.[3] Others such as the Syriac Chronicle of Edessa written in the same decade that the siege occurred, also claim divine interventions.[4] Nevertheless, the city later fell in 610 during the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628.
References
- ^ a b Rawlinson, George (1885). The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World: Or, The History, Geography and Antiquities of Chaldæa, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, and Sassanian Or New Persian Empire. J. W. Lovell Company. p. 463.
- ^ a b c d e Procopius, History of the Wars, Book II, XXVI–XXVII
- ISBN 9781598846171.
- ISBN 9780860785873.