The siege of Nisibis took place in 573 when the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, under Emperor

Justin II Justin II ( la, Iustinus; grc-gre, Ἰουστῖνος, Ioustînos; died 5 October 578) or Justin the Younger ( la, Iustinus minor) was Eastern Roman Emperor from 565 until 578. He was the nephew of Justinian I and the husband of Sophia, the ...

, besieged the

Sasanian The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

city of

Nisibis Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...

. The Sasanians successfully defended the city and defeated the Roman force. In line with "Justinianic model", the Romans mobilized garrisoned engineers for the attack, and ordered them to perform a "very complex siege". The reason behind the Roman rout at Nisibis was reportedly due to quarreling amongst the Roman officers. According to the Syriac chronicles, however, the Sasanian forces were able to delay the Roman army, allowing them to prepare for extensive defense. An account also cited a failure of intelligence from Arab clients so that the Romans were unaware of the Sasanian army's movement to the

Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers''). Originating in Turkey, the Eup ...

junction with the Khabur. This army attacked the Romans from the rear. After the siege was lifted, the Sasanians used the Roman

trebuchet A trebuchet (french: trébuchet) is a type of catapult that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles of greater weight ...

s that were left behind at the successful siege of Dara, later that year. This particular siege lasted six months and the victory gave Khosrow I another important fortress in the eastern

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

in addition to Nisibis.

References

Sources

* * 573 570s conflicts Nisibis 573 Nisibis 573 Nisibis 573 6th century in the Byzantine Empire 6th century in Iran 570s in the Byzantine Empire 573 {{siege-stub