892:. Martin reported the contents of the "imperial message" to all those assembled. The fabricated message congratulated the defenders for their valour and informed them that reinforcements were approaching, and the "messenger" claimed that they were camped near the River Neocnus, at a short distance from the town itself. Martin then feigned indignation that newcomers would share the glory and spoil "with those who had borne the burden and the heat", to which his troops shouted their approval, being motivated to action.
39:
908:
blocks of stone" at the weapons and smaller stones at the enemy soldiers. The initial stages of the fight lasted long enough for Justin to return from his pilgrimage. He could not return to the city, but was able to organize his own forces and attack the rear of the enemy force. Their sudden attack spread havoc, breaking through enemy lines. At least some of the
Sassanid forces believed that Justin's men were the rumoured Byzantine reinforcements.
866:
fight in the open. However, Angilas and
Philomathius with about two hundred of their men opened a town gate, exited the town and attacked the nearest force of Sassanids whose archers were harassing the defenders. Theodore at first attempted to restrain them, but then bowed down to "majority opinion" and followed them in attacking. He was reportedly reluctant to violate orders, but unwilling to be branded a coward by the soldiers.
925:
misunderstanding". Angilas and
Theodore thus succeeded in causing a general flight of the Sassanid forces. The rest of the Byzantine troops sallied forth from behind the walls and started pursuing the fleeing enemies. The entire left wing of the Sassanid army fell apart, although the right wing remained unbroken and continued to fight.
899:
force to locate and observe the
Byzantine reinforcements, and then launched the rest of his forces in a general attack on the walls, hoping to capture the city before the reinforcements arrived. He boasted that he would burn the city and its inhabitants down, and sent his camp servants to the nearby
942:
forces) and most of their siege equipment. The
Byzantine casualties "did not number more than two hundred". The Byzantines set the siege equipment on fire. The servants and porters of the Sassanid army reportedly mistook the smoke for a sign that the city had fallen, and started rushing towards the
907:
to "a church of great sanctity in the vicinity". The
Persians somehow failed to notice their departure, and began their great attack that same morning. Arrows and darts filled the air, while Sassanid siege weapons were attempting to destroy the wooden walls. The defenders answered by throwing "huge
916:
against the besiegers. The few
Dailamites left behind were either slain or forced to flee, "pressed in relentless pursuit" by the Byzantine force. The other Dailamites noted that their kinsmen were in peril and abandoned their current positions in an attempt to face Angilas and Theodore, but their
865:
Operations started with a volley of arrows from the
Persians. Martin, the overall commander of the Byzantine troops, had given instructions to the whole army to stay at their respective posts. They were to disregard attempts by the Persians to induce them to sally forth from the fortifications and
932:
of the
Sasanian force. They might have stopped the Byzantine advance, but one of the elephants panicked and turned against the Persian ranks. The horses of the Sasanian cavalry were terrified of the attacking elephant, panicked in turn and bolted. In the confusion, the Sasanian forces scattered.
787:
was its first line of defense. Nachoragan's forces however emptied the moat after days of hard work, and managed to surround the town from its river side too by building a bridge of boats across the Phasis. Meanwhile, the
Byzantines had organized the defense of the city, with their forces taking
924:
The nearby Persian forces in turn thought that the Dailamites were retreating in haste, panicked and started fleeing "ignominiously in all directions". The Dailamites were left unsupported and "rushed to join them in flight". Agathias regards them as the cause and victims of a "double
881:. The encircled Byzantines however began a desperate attack on the enemies positioned closer to the town walls, and the Dailamites "opened up their ranks and made way from them" instead of standing their ground. Thus Angilas and the others escaped back to the safety of the city.
877:, originating in the mountains of Persia. "They fought on foot, armed each with a sword, a shield, and three javelins". They decided against attacking the Byzantines from a distance, and instead they "calmly awaited their approach" and then easily performed an
971:
by orders of Khosrau. "His skin, torn off in one piece from head to foot, so as to retain the shape of the body, was sewn up and inflated like a bladder". Khosrau reportedly kept it on display as a warning against "anyone who fled before the enemies" of the
911:
Panicked Sassanid troops started to retreat, and most of the Dailamites left their positions to "relieve those who were being hard pressed". Angilas and Theodore noticed that there were few troops left besieging their section of the fortifications and led a
888:, which would both raise the morale of his soldiers and spread fear in enemy units. He called the army in an assembly, supposedly to discuss further measures of defense. The assembly was interrupted by an unknown person, posing as a messenger from
900:
woods and instructed them to gather timber to burn down the city. He also instructed them to watch for great smoke rising to the heavens, for it would mean that the city had fallen and that they should immediately return to help.
727:
from Byzantium to Persia. The Persians quickly overran the country, but after Gubazes learned that the Persians planned to kill him, deport his people, and bring in Persian colonists, he asked the Byzantines for help.
731:
In 554, the Persians won a major victory against the Laz-Byzantine forces at Telephis, forcing the latter to withdraw to the western parts of the country, and in the next year they were able to thwart
955:
and Mochereisis. Sasanian reinforcements arrived too late to make a difference and also retreated. The Byzantine forces were left in undisputed control of the western districts of
903:
While Nachoragan was forming his plan, Justin decided to take advantage of the calm before the storm: he exited the city, leading a force of 5,000 men cavalrymen and an infantry
617:
776:. Their combined forces were less than 20,000 men. Nachoragan could expect an easy victory as the town and its fortifications were built of wood and were vulnerable to fire.
632:
263:
791:
The extreme western side, the one closest to the river, was guarded by Justin, while Martin positioned himself in the south-western side. The south side was defended by
324:
869:
The Byzantine force was heavily outnumbered, and Agathias reports that they "would almost certainly have been annihilated", but they were saved by an error of the
951:
Nachoragan was already running out of supplies and winter was approaching. He broke off the siege and retreated the following day. His troops headed towards
531:
933:
Nachoragan gave the command to retreat, but by that time most of his forces had either already fled the battlefield or were in the process of doing so.
647:
291:
895:
The Byzantine reinforcements did not in fact exist, but news of their approach reached Nachoragan, who reacted in two ways. He first sent out a large
622:
268:
1356:
226:
1361:
1381:
1376:
317:
707:, held by the Byzantines, but were defeated in the ensuing irregular battle. The main source for the siege is the 6th-century historian
310:
73:
765:
427:
161:
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1322:
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1246:
1226:
1208:
1185:
991:
664:
219:
422:
1304:
1284:
845:. Their composition is not recorded. Finally, the Byzantine ships were placed under the protection of Dabragezas the
842:
773:
437:
627:
501:
276:
212:
526:
1351:
1315:
Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400-800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam
612:
546:
258:
447:
541:
476:
379:
936:
By the time night fell, the Persians had reportedly lost at least ten thousand fighting men (mostly the
390:
1200:
History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian, Volume 2
578:
556:
454:
1341:
573:
561:
481:
417:
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369:
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442:
755:
Nachoragan led an army of ca. 60,000 men. The Byzantine forces of the area were led by the
724:
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253:
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8:
769:
669:
521:
491:
354:
165:
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536:
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412:
359:
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Byzantine lines. Nearly two thousand of them were killed that night, others captured.
1318:
1300:
1280:
1262:
1242:
1222:
1204:
1181:
967:(r. 531–579), who was enraged with his general. Agathias reports that Nachoragan was
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and the River Phasis secured it from the east, north, and west. At its south side, a
732:
637:
551:
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466:
461:
432:
281:
960:
757:
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141:
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1256:
1236:
1198:
1175:
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took the initiative in besieging the major Laz-Byzantine stronghold, the town of
696:
511:
136:
1258:
The age of Justinian and Theodora: a history of the sixth century A.D., vol. II
992:
Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400–800 AD)...
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826:
811:
364:
1371:
1335:
973:
918:
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75:
67:
841:. The extreme eastern side was guarded by Valerian, leading forces from the
833:. The south-eastern side was guarded by Gibrus, who led a combined force of
929:
878:
796:
386:
38:
885:
874:
744:
347:
335:
795:, Theodore, and Philomathius. Angilas is recorded leading a regiment of
1194:
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736:
735:
on the fortress of Onoguris. In the spring of 555, the Persian general
156:
699:
Empires. Expecting an easy victory, the Persians besieged the town of
302:
1277:
The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD)
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780:
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688:
595:
236:
111:
30:
1296:
The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Volume III: AD 527–641
850:
838:
830:
723:
had started in 541 with the defection of the Lazi under their king
708:
171:
1177:
A History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene, Vol. I
963:
to winter. News of the disaster however reached the Persian shah,
968:
952:
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994:"The Romans defended Phasis which was situated near the sea ..."
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818:, a recently Christianized tribe living in the mountains above
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44:
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204:
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1293:
Martindale, John R.; Jones, A.H.M.; Morris, John (1992),
1219:
The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power
802:
and spearmen, probably meaning they were only armed with
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their places at the various sides of the fortifications.
1292:
1333:
1016:Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), pp. 81–82
1275:Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002),
751:Opposing forces and preparations for the siege
1313:Petersen, Leif Inge Ree (15 September 2013).
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1203:, New York: Courier Dover Publications,
1063:Greatrex & Lieu (2002), pp. 120, 122
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332:
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1146:Leif Inge Ree Petersen (2013), p. 560.
1137:Agathias, ed. Frendo (1975), pp. 96–97
1114:Agathias, ed. Frendo (1975), pp. 90–93
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959:. Nachoragan eventually crossed into
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1377:Sieges involving the Sasanian Empire
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16:Military action during the Lazic War
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1357:Battles of the Roman–Sasanian Wars
1158:Agathias, ed. Frendo (1975), p. 99
921:was disorganized and ineffective.
14:
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873:. The Dailamites were a force of
843:praetorian prefecture of the East
687:took place in 555–556 during the
1382:Sieges of the Roman–Persian Wars
779:The town's location between the
743:, which lay at the mouth of the
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1255:Holmes, William Gordon (1905),
1235:Frendo, Joseph D., ed. (1975),
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1299:, Cambridge University Press,
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1025:Bury (1958), pp. 101–102, 113
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282:Onoguris (3rd Archaeopolis)
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822:, while Philomathius led
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1238:Agathias: The histories
1180:, MacMillan & Co.,
568:Sasanian war of 540–562
1217:Evans, J.A.S. (1996),
151:Commanders and leaders
58:July 555 – June 556 AD
1241:, Walter de Gruyter,
191:Casualties and losses
89:42.15000°N 41.66667°E
1261:, G. Bell and sons,
1072:Evans (1996), p. 168
428:Babosis and Zerboule
1352:6th century in Iran
1123:Bury (1889), p. 451
1034:Bury (1958), p. 119
85: /
1195:Bury, John Bagnell
1172:Bury, John Bagnell
733:a Byzantine attack
660:Conquest of Spania
120:Unsuccessful siege
94:42.15000; 41.66667
1324:978-90-04-25446-6
1268:978-1-4212-5069-4
1248:978-3-11-003357-1
1228:978-0-415-02209-5
1210:978-0-486-20399-7
1187:978-1-4021-8369-0
853:(Elminegeir) the
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810:. Theodore led
753:
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685:siege of Phasis
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665:Anastasian Wall
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1342:550s conflicts
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812:heavy infantry
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730:
718:
691:between the
684:
682:
642:
594:
593:
547:Sena Gallica
391:Moorish Wars
387:Vandalic War
380:Martyropolis
286:
131:Belligerents
29:Part of the
886:ruse of war
875:auxiliaries
348:Iberian War
336:Justinian I
92: /
1336:Categories
980:References
871:Dailamites
737:Nachoragan
725:Gubazes II
715:Background
579:Sisauranon
527:2nd Naples
492:Urviventus
472:1st Naples
455:Gothic War
403:Tricamarum
398:Ad Decimum
375:Callinicum
169:Dabragezas
157:Nachoragan
80:41°40′00″E
77:42°09′00″N
1367:Lazic War
1317:. BRILL.
965:Khosrau I
947:Aftermath
781:Black Sea
772:, son of
721:Lazic War
693:Byzantine
689:Lazic War
670:Melantias
613:3rd Petra
608:2nd Petra
603:1st Petra
596:Lazic War
562:Volturnus
522:Mucellium
355:Thannuris
259:3rd Petra
254:2nd Petra
249:1st Petra
237:Lazic War
112:Byzantine
31:Lazic War
1197:(1958),
1174:(1889),
851:Elmingir
839:Lombards
827:slingers
824:Isaurian
820:Trapezus
800:peltasts
774:Germanus
762:Armeniam
709:Agathias
697:Sasanian
542:3rd Rome
537:2nd Rome
517:Faventia
482:Ariminum
477:1st Rome
462:Panormus
438:Sufetula
423:Membresa
418:Carthage
413:Bourgaon
360:Mindouos
334:Wars of
178:Strength
172:Elmingir
63:Location
1165:Sources
905:brigade
797:Moorish
793:Angilas
648:Tzacher
574:Nisibis
552:Taginae
532:Otranto
507:Treviso
502:Ravenna
497:Auximus
487:Urbinus
467:Scardon
433:Cillium
292:Tzacher
199:Unknown
183:~60,000
162:Gubaz 2
114:victory
43:Map of
1321:
1303:
1283:
1265:
1245:
1225:
1207:
1184:
957:Lazica
953:Kotais
939:paygan
914:sortie
835:Heruli
808:lances
804:shield
770:Justin
766:Martin
741:Phasis
705:Lazica
701:Phasis
643:Phasis
623:Cotais
589:Edessa
584:Anglon
512:Verona
408:Mammes
370:Satala
287:Phasis
269:Cotais
196:10,000
166:Justin
145:Lazica
105:Result
68:Phasis
45:Lazica
861:Siege
816:Tzani
654:Other
443:Marta
1372:Poti
1319:ISBN
1301:ISBN
1281:ISBN
1263:ISBN
1243:ISBN
1223:ISBN
1205:ISBN
1182:ISBN
849:and
847:Wend
837:and
829:and
806:and
785:moat
760:per
719:The
695:and
683:The
389:and
365:Dara
55:Date
855:Hun
703:in
1338::
1151:^
1128:^
1103:^
1077:^
1039:^
999:^
976:.
857:.
747:.
711:.
1327:.
326:e
319:t
312:v
228:e
221:t
214:v
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