Heraclius Caucasus campaign
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2024) |
| Heraclius' campaign of 624–625 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 | |||||||||
 Heraclius' Campaigns against the Sassanids | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Byzantine Empire | Sasanian Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Heraclius |
Khosrow II Shahrbaraz Shahin Shahraplakan | ||||||||
Heraclius' Caucasus campaign of 624–625 was a campaign during which Heraclius defeated several Persian armies. He captured the Caucasus, then moved deeper into Persia.
Background
[edit]Having won a victory over the Persians in Anatolia and concluded a peace treaty with the Avars, Heraclius began to prepare for a new campaign.On March 25, 624, he left Constantinople with the goal of capturing Armenia.Immediately before the campaign itself, the emperor of Byzantium made attempts to conclude peace with Khosrow, but nothing came of it.Heraclius, together with his new second wife and niece Martina and two of the children from his first marriage (with Fabia/Eudokia), departed from Constantinople on 25 March 624. He crossed to Chalcedon, then followed the route along the Sea of Marmara. His daughters Epiphania and Eudokia by his first marriage (but apparently not his son Heraclius Constantine) accompanied him as far as the vicinity of Nikomedia where they celebrated Easter on 15 April.[1]
Campaign
[edit]Sebeos states that the Byzantine army numbered 120,000 soldiers, but the figure is clearly exaggerated.[2]
Heraclius encamped near Bathys Rhyax, passed through Satala (Sadak, north of Erzincan), Theodosiopolis (Erzurum), Ayrarat, descended the Araxes River route to Horosan, and destroyed Dvin and Nakhchawan.After defeating Khosrow in the Battle of Ganzak, Khosrow fled and his 40,000 strong army scattered.[3]
After a while, he arrived in Caucasian Albania along with 50,000 captured Persians and spent the winter there.
Unwilling to endure such humiliations, Khosrow sent three armies under the command of three generals: Shahin, Shahrvaraz and Shahraplakan. Having defeated the army of Shahraplakan, and then in the battle of Archesh the army of Shahin and Shahrvaraz Heraclius could easily spend the winter in the Caucasus, and then move deeper into the Sasanian empire.[4]
Aftermath
[edit]After the battle of Archesh, the Persians left the Caucasus. Heraclius was able to spend the winter and then move deeper into Persia, beginning the final part of the war.
Reference
[edit]- ^ Kaegi 2003, pp. 120–122.
- ^ Kaegi 2003, p. 125.
- ^ Kaegi 2003, p. 127.
- ^ Kaegi 2003, pp. 128–130.
Bibliography
[edit]- Kaegi, Walter Emil (2003), Heraclius: Emperor of Byzantium, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-81459-1