The siege of Philippopolis was fought in about 250 between

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

during the invasions of 249–253 at the Thracian city of Philippopolis, modern

Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. It was part of the long-running series of

Gothic Wars The Gothic Wars were a long series of conflicts between the Goths and the Roman Empire between the years 249 and 554. The main wars are detailed below. History Crisis of the Third Century During the Crisis of the Third Century, Goths under ...

. The Goths were led by King

Cniva Cniva ( mid-3rd century AD) was a Gothic king who invaded the Roman Empire. He successfully captured the city of Philippopolis (Plovdiv in Bulgaria) in 250 and killed Emperor Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus at the Battle of Abritus as he ...

who had crossed the Danube in 249 or 250 with two armies. His army attacked

Novae A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...

and Nicopolis ad Istrum unsuccessfully before defeating the army of Emperor

Decius Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius ( 201June 251), known as Trajan Decius or simply Decius (), was Roman emperor from 249 to 251. A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was proclaimed emperor by his troops a ...

at Augusta Traiana and moving on to Philippopolis. Decius had been on his way to relieve Philippopolis with a reinforced army, but arrived too late. After a long siege, Cniva was victorious after the city was betrayed by a citizen. The king subsequently allied himself with the governor of

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, Titus Julius Priscus, to take on the Roman Emperor

again at Abritus.JORDANES: THE ORIGIN AND DEEDS OF THE GOTH
Goths in the 3rd Century
/ref>

References

External links

Book excerpt
Philippopolis 250 Crisis of the Third Century Philippopolis Philippopolis Military history of Bulgaria History of Plovdiv Roman Thrace 250 250s in the Roman Empire {{AncientRome-battle-stub