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Byzantine-Sasanian War Summary · Acedra
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Byzantine-Sasanian War Summary
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0:07
Wars are always destructive and their results are often elusive. But no other struggle quite underlies the short-sightedness and unfruitful nature of fighting as well as the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602 to 628. Neither empire gained much through this long conflict and the war allowed a completely new power, Islam, to become dominant in the region. Welcome to the new edition of Kings and Generals, the documentary series.
0:58
Since the disastrous Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, the Romans and Persians fought in countless conflicts until a certain balance formed between them. Neither side was ever able to strike a final blow against its long-standing enemy. The new hostilities started in 571. The Sassanids' Arab clients, the Lakhmids, attacked Byzantium's Arab clients, the Gassanids in 570 and then the Persians invaded Yemen and expelled the Byzantine allies from there.
1:30
The Romans attempted to incite revolts against the Sasanians in modern-day Georgia and Armenia and eventually one occurred in 572. The Byzantines were able to take control of the South Caucasus at the beginning of the war. However, the Syrian Front wasn't looking as good for Emperor Justin's armies as Shah Khosrow's troops stopped them near Nisibis and then took the strategically important Dara. The war was a back and forth and although the Persians lured the Armenians back to their side,
2:02
by 582 the war effort had completely stalled and the Byzantines were able to win the only meaningful engagement in 586 at Solachon. The Sasanians attacked again and took Martyropolis. The Empire quickly responded by winning the battles at Sisauranon and the River Araxes in 590. Making matters even worse for the opposing side, a Persian general named Bahram, who lost the later battle was enraged that he was dismissed by the Shah Hormizd IV and then he too revolted.
2:36
The Sasanian aristocracy tried to stop the revolt by overthrowing Hormizd and raising his son Khosrow to the throne. However, Barham continued moving towards the capital and forced Khosrow to flee, eventually taking power. Khosrow had to give Martyropolis and Dara back to the Byzantine emperor Maurice in order to gain his assistance and with it, he was able to win the wars against Barham in the battles of Nisibis and Blarathon.
3:04
Khosrow handed over Northeastern Mesopotamia, modern-day Armenia and Georgia to the Byzantines. For the first time, the two great empires became allies and the Byzantines did not have to pay any type of tribute, allowing Maurice to address the ever dangerous situation in the Balkans.
3:25
The long war had devastating effects on the Byzantine Empire depleting Constantinople's treasury and the Emperor eventually decided to cut army pay, which only led to more mutinies. One of the leaders of the army, Phocas, was declared the Emperor by his soldiers and made march to the capital. Maurice failed to defend his throne and soon was captured then killed.
3:51
The governor of Mesopotamia, Narses, revolted against the new Emperor and asked Khosrow II to assist him. The Sasanian Shah considered Maurice an ally and used his death as an excuse to reconquer Armenia and Mesopotamia. Phocas then sent an army to reclaim the lands in 605 but the Persians won the battle near Dara and took the fortress back. Things became worse for Phocas in 608 when the governor of Africa, Heraclius, also revolted with Syria and Palestine joining him soon after.
4:25
The Sasanians used this Byzantine infighting to their advantage and conquered Mardin, Amida, Edessa, Theodosiopolis and even raided Bythinia. Heraclius was able to take control of Egypt in 610 and made it his home base. He launched the invasion of Constantinople and took the throne. The new Byzantine ruler expected the Persians to stop fighting as they did not have a casus belli anymore. However, it was too late as Khosrow had already occupied the Caucasus and Mesopotamia
5:00
believing that he was close to an ultimate victory and restoration of the Achaemenid Empire. Despite the Emperor's best efforts, Caesarea was burned in 612 and the Sasanian forces who burned it escaped. Heraclius decided to lead the army himself but the Empire was still losing lands and by 614 Damascus, Emesa and Jerusalem were all conquered by the enemy. The loss of the Holy City was especially painful as the Holy Sepulchre was burned, the True Cross and other relics were taken away.
5:37
The Byzantine people were unhappy with the loss of these relics, the burning and eventually the capture of these holy sites. The Emperor was also having a difficult time recruiting any new troops as the loss of Jerusalem was considered a sign of divine anger. In 615 the Sasanians besieged Chalcedon, a city just a few kilometers away from Constantinople.
6:02
Chalcedon was lost in 617, and it seemed that Heraclius was ready to become a client of Khosrow. We don't know exactly what happened, but sources assert that a few months later the Sasanian army began the invasion of Egypt and by 621 this province had become part of the Sasanian state for the first time. The war in Anatolia continued and by 622, the central part of the peninsula had also changed hands as Ancyra fell to the Persians. Even the naval situation, usually favorable for the Byzantines,
6:40
was looking grim as Rhodes and a number of islands in the Aegean fell in 622. Despite these massive setbacks, Heraclius was able to mount a counter-offensive in 622 with a brand new Byzantine army. He moved to Cappadocia which threatened the supply lines of the Sasanian army in Galatia and it had to retreat in order to block the entrance to Persia.
7:05
Historical sources fail us here as we have very little info on the ensuing battle but we know that Heraclius won after his troops discovered a Persian ambush and feigned a retreat only to strike against the enemy in a designated location. The Sassanids were pushed out of Anatolia, but the Avars were threatening Balkan holdings and the Emperor was forced to return to Constantinople. He sued for peace but was ambushed by the Avar Khagan and had to flee all the way to his capital.
7:36
Eventually the Avars agreed to take hostages and a big sum, finally allowing the Byzantines to focus on the Persians once more. Heraclius once again offered peace to Khosrow in 624 with him again rejecting and the Emperor beginning to mount a new offensive. 30,000-strong Byzantine forces first took Caesarea and then moved through modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan to attack the Persian heartland. Khosrow's army had 40,000 and met them near Gazaca.
8:08
We have limited knowledge of the battle, but it was won by the Byzantines.
8:14
Heraclius destroyed the famous Zoroastrian shrine in order to avenge Jerusalem and wintered in the area.
8:22
However, Khosrow wasn't fond of the Byzantines resting in his lands and he sent three smaller forces to block any possible retreat of Heraclius and trap them between the mountains and Persia. The Emperor tricked each Sassanid army into attacking him and was able to defeat two of them. The remaining Persian forces united into a singular army while the Byzantines crossed the Araxes River.
8:47
At the beginning of 625, the Persians again attempted to ambush Heraclius in Aliovit but the Emperor ignored this ambush and attacked the camp scattering his enemies. The Byzantines spent the winter to the north of Lake Van before taking the ever important fortresses of Amida and Martyropolis in the spring.
9:08
In the early summer, Heraclius was able to win another engagement near the River Sarus but his forces were tired, and he wintered in Trebizond. Khosrow was losing the war. So in 626, he recruited two more armies: one to defend Persia and one to strike against Constantinople. The second army had 50,000 men and went directly to Constantinople without engaging Heraclius in Anatolia. At the same time, the Sasanians were able to get an alliance with the Avars
9:42
and their new allies promised to attack Constantinople as well. The Persians and Avars began the assault on the 29th of June. Heraclius sent part of his army to attack the Sasanian forces from behind and they easily triumphed in August. Fearful, the Avars retreated into the Balkans and the Byzantine capital was safe once again. Heraclius also succeeded in turning the general of the second Sasanian army, Shahrbaraz, against the Shah.
10:13
On the other hand, the Emperor entered into an alliance with the Turks of the Western Khaganate and in the same year, they attacked Sassanid territory with 40,000 troops. Heraclius then surprised the Sassanids by moving into their heartland during the winter of 627. The last army of the Shah tried to stop Heraclius near Nineveh, but again sources are short on this battle. However, we do know that the Emperor's army outnumbered the Sassanids at least two or three-to-one
10:48
and it is said that Heraclius himself was actually challenged by three Persian warriors and managed to best each in personal combat. Eventually the Byzantines were to kill 6,000 enemies on this day. Khosrow's luck had finally run out as rebellion dethroned him and brought his son into power. The new Shah Kavadh II sued for peace in 628 and Heraclius was eager to agree as his empire was close to exhaustion.
11:20
All original territories were returned to the Byzantines along with all their prisoners of war. The Sassanids agreed to pay a war indemnity and eventually gave back all the relics captured in Jerusalem. As we said in the beginning of this video, this war didn't really bring its participants any new lands or riches. It was just devastating and in 629, the Muslim Caliphate began encroaching on both empires. In just 25 short years, the Caliphate destroyed the Sasanian Empire
11:56
and limited the Eastern Roman Empire to Anatolia.
12:10
Thank you for watching our documentary on the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628. Hopefully you enjoyed it and will give us your likes, subscribes and shares. Don't forget to support us on Patreon and visit my channel Commissar Bro listed in the description. This was Commissar Bro narrating for Nurrik and Phoenix, and we'll catch you on the next one.
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