Siege of Constantinople (626)

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See Sieges of Constantinople for other sieges
Roman-Persian Wars
Date 626
Location Constantinople
Result Decisive Byzantine victory, climax of Persian invasions.
Belligerents
Byzantine Empire Sassanid Empire
Avar Khaganate
Commanders
Patriarch Sergius Shahrbaraz
Strength
12,000 cavalry (dismounted) 80,000 Avars
Persian Allies
v • d • e
Roman-Persian Wars
Carrhae – War of 58–63 – Ctesiphon (165) – Ctesiphon (198) – Nisibis – Resaena – Misiche – Barbalissos – Edessa – Singara – Amida – Ctesiphon (363) – Samarra – Anastasian War – Iberian War – Lazic War – War of 572–591 – Antioch – Jerusalem – Alexandria – Chalcedon – Issus – Sarus – Constantinople – Nineveh

The Siege of Constantinople in 626 AD by the Sassanid Empire ended in a decisive victory for the Byzantines which, with other victories achieved by Heraclius the previous year and in 627 AD, enabled Byzantium to regain her territories and enforce a favorable treaty with borders status quo c.590 AD.

Contents

[edit] Background

In 602 AD Phocas overthrew Maurice, the incumbent Byzantine Emperor, and established a reign of terror and incompetence, leading the empire into anarchy.[1] Laws were passed condemning Jews whilst religious and administrative mishandling left the Empire in a sorry state when the Sassanid King Khosrau II attacked, using the coup as a pretext for war. Initially the war went well for the Persians, until only Anatolia remained in Roman hands. Later, Phocas was overthrown by the son of the then Exarch of Carthage, Heraclius.[1] A General of astounding energy yet limited experience, Heraclius immediately began undoing much of Phocas' damaging work that he had procured whilst Emperor.[1] Yet despite his offensives into Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) Heraclius was unable to stop his Persian enemies from laying siege to his capital where from Chalcedon they were able to launch their attack.

[edit] Siege

Also assisting in the siege was a host of 80,000 Avars, bent on removing all Roman/Byzantine Imperial rule over Europe.[2] The Persians had arrived in Chalcedon before Phocas was overthrown. However it was only when the Avars began moving forward heavy siege equipment towards the Theodosian Walls that a siege became clear.

Fortunately for the defenders, the soldiers of the capital numbered some 12,000 and consisted of cavalry - normally a well-trained arm of the Greco-Roman army of the time. [3] Adding no small bonus was the Patriarch of Constantinople – whose cries for religious zeal among the peasantary of Constantinople was made ever more effective by the fact that they were facing heathens, at least in their eyes.[3] Consequently, every assault became a doomed effort. When the Avar fleet and the Persian fleet were sunk in two different naval engagements, the attackers panicked and fled abandoning the city - apparently under the belief that Divine intervention had won the day for Byzantium.[3]

[edit] Aftermath

The loss came just after news had reached them of yet another Byzantine victory, where Theodore scored well against the Persian General Shahin.[3] Following this, Heraclius led an invasion into Mesopotamia once again, defeating another Persian army at Nineveh. Afterwards, he marched on to Ctesiphon where anarchy reigned – allowing Heraclius to extract ever more favorable terms as one Persian King was overthrown by another. Eventually the Persians were obliged to withdraw all armed forces and return Egypt, the Levant and whatever Imperial territories of Mesopotamia and Armenia were in Roman hands at the time of an earlier peace treaty in c. 595 AD. The war over, neither the Persians nor the Byzantines would cross swords again until the Islamic invasion broke the power of both Empires.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Norwich, John Julius (1997). A Short History of Byzantium. New York: Vintage Books, p. 90. 
  2. ^ Norwich, John Julius (1997). A Short History of Byzantium. New York: Vintage Books, p. 92. 
  3. ^ a b c d Norwich, John Julius (1997). A Short History of Byzantium. New York: Vintage Books, p. 93. 
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