The siege of Nisibis took place in 573 when the
Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, under Emperor
Justin II, besieged the
Sasanian city of
Nisibis. 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 Khosrow-led Sasanian army's movement to the
Euphrates
The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
junction with the
Khabur. Which then attacked the Romans from the rear forcing them to pull out of the siege and leave.
After the siege was lifted, the Sasanians used the Roman
trebuchets 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 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 ...
in addition to Nisibis.
References
Sources
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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
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