The Battle of Carrhae, also known as the Battle of Callinicum, took place in 296 or 297,Frye (1993), 130; Southern (2001), 242 after the invasion of

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

and

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

by the

Sasanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

king

Narseh Narseh (also spelled Narses or Narseus; ) was the seventh King of Kings of Sasanian Iran from 293 to 303. The youngest son of Shapur I (), Narseh served as the governor of Sakastan, Hind and Turan under his father. Shapur I was eventually s ...

. The battle took place between Carrhae (

Harran Harran is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 904 km2, and its population is 96,072 (2022). It is approximately southeast of Urfa and from the Syrian border crossing at Akçakale. ...

) and Callinicum ( al-Raqqah) and was a victory for the Sasanians.

attacked with forces recruited from the Euphrates frontier. He managed to defeat his opponent by good timing. Galerius and

Tiridates III of Armenia Tiridates III ( – ), also known as Tiridates the Great or Tiridates IV, was the Armenian Arsacid king from to . In the early 4th century (the traditional date is 301), Tiridates proclaimed Christianity as the state religion of Armenia, maki ...

escaped with a remnant of their forces. Galerius met

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

. Eutropius and

Theophanes the Confessor Theophanes the Confessor (; 759 – 817 or 818) was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy who became a monk and chronicler. He served in the court of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar before taking up the religious life. Theophanes attended the Second C ...

have recorded versions of a celebrated story regarding a public humiliation of

Galerius Galerius Valerius Maximianus (; Greek: Γαλέριος; 258 – May 311) was Roman emperor from 305 to 311. He participated in the system of government later known as the Tetrarchy, first acting as '' caesar'' under Emperor Diocletian. In th ...

by Diocletian, though the latter retained Galerius in command. Diocletian later sent reinforcements for Galerius, and the latter managed to defeat the

Sassanids The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

two years later at the Battle of Satala.

Roman Campaign

During 296, a war ignited between Sasanian Persia and the Roman Empire. Shah Narseh who led the Sasanian’s invaded Rome’s state in west Armenia. This conquest leads on to Mesopotamia and Orhoene. However, despite the countless victories over the Romans, Narseh halted further conquest.

Domitius Domitianus

297 Egypt, Domitius self-appointed himself as emperor of Egypt. He received support from Achilleus which lead him to becoming emperor. This event made Diocletian leave his campaign with his commander Galerius and march to Egypt where he then swiftly took out Domitianus. This left Galerius commanding during the second battle of Carrhae which ended in defeat for the Romans. After his quick victory Diocletian then executed every traitor against his empire and slaughtered people in the city.

Peace

Narseh wanted peace, so he sent his envoy to Galerius with a message. Galerius was furious, he ignored the envoy and didn’t give an answer as to whether he wanted to accept the peace agreements. Galerius then spoke with Diocletian pertaining to a peace agreement. Diocletian convinced Galerius to speak about the terms of peace to the Sasanians. The treaty was accepted and ratified by both empires. The message sent by Narseh went as follows: "The whole human race knows that the Roman and Persian kingdoms resemble two great luminaries, and that, like a man's two eyes, they ought mutually to adorn and illustrate each other, and not in the extremity of their wrath to seek rather each other's destruction. So to act is not to act manfully, but is indicative rather of levity and weakness; for it is to suppose that our inferiors can never be of any service to us, and that therefore we had better get rid of them. Narseh, moreover, ought not to be accounted a weaker prince than other Persian kings; thou hast indeed conquered him, but then thou surpassed all other monarchs; and thus Narseh has of course been worsted by thee, though he is no whit inferior in merit to the best of his ancestors. The orders which my master has given me are to entrust all the rights of Persia to the clemency of Rome; and I therefore do not even bring with me any conditions of peace, since it is for the emperor to determine everything. I have only to pray, on my master's behalf, for the restoration of his wives and male children; if he receives them at your hands, he will be forever beholden to you, and will be better pleased than if he recovered them by force of arms. Even now my master cannot sufficiently thank you for the kind treatment which he hears you have vouchsafed them, in that you have offered them no insult, but have behaved towards them as though on the point of giving them back to their kith and kin. He sees herein that you bear in mind the changes of fortune and the instability of all human affairs"

Leaders

Narseh Narseh (also spelled Narses or Narseus; ) was the seventh King of Kings of Sasanian Iran from 293 to 303. The youngest son of Shapur I (), Narseh served as the governor of Sakastan, Hind and Turan under his father. Shapur I was eventually s ...

Narseh the leader of the Sasanian’s was the youngest child of

Shapur I Shapur I (also spelled Shabuhr I; ) was the second Sasanian Empire, Sasanian King of Kings of Iran. The precise dating of his reign is disputed, but it is generally agreed that he ruled from 240 to 270, with his father Ardashir I as co-regent u ...

. He led as governor of three provinces, Sakastan, Turan, and Hind. Narseh later went on to become the ruling king of Sasania after the nobles didn’t support Bahram III who was the current king. The nobles instead, asked Narseh to rule which led to him becoming the king.

Galerius Galerius Valerius Maximianus (; Greek: Γαλέριος; 258 – May 311) was Roman emperor from 305 to 311. He participated in the system of government later known as the Tetrarchy, first acting as '' caesar'' under Emperor Diocletian. In th ...

Galerius was the Roman commander. He first gained notoriety when he married Diocletian’s daughter Valeria. With marrying his daughter, he was given the Illyrian provinces. He then went on to fight the Goths, Danube, and Sarmatians and took control of the legions on the east.

References

Westera, Rick. “Historical Atlas of Europe (Spring 297): Second Battle of Carrhae.” ''Omniatlas'', https://omniatlas.com/maps/europe/2970512/. Weber, Ursula (2012). "Narseh, König der Könige von Ērān und Anērān". Iranica Antiqua. 47: 153–302. {{doi, 10.2143/IA.47.0.2141965 Electricpulp.com. “Encyclopædia Iranica.” ''RSS'', https://web.archive.org/web/20190529113145/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/narseh-sasanian-king. Carrhae Carrhae Carrhae 296 Carrhae 296 296 History of Şanlıurfa Province 3rd century in Iran 290s in the Roman Empire Harran