Battle of Antioch (613)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Antioch
partof=the Roman-Persian Wars
date=613
place=Outside Antioch, Syria
casus= Sassanid invasion of Byzantine territory
territory=Syria and Eastern Anatolia annexed to the Persian Empire.
result=Decisive Sassanid victory
combatant1=Byzantine Empire
combatant2=Sassanid Empire
commander1=Heraclius
commander2=Shahrbaraz,
Shahin
strength1=Unknown
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=Heavy
casualties2=Minimal

Beginning in 610, under the generalship of Shahrbaraz and Shahin, the Persian army had conquered Byzantine-controlled territories in Mesopotamia and the Caucasus. In the next year, continuing their success, the Persian force overran Syria and Eastern Anatolia, capturing Christian cities such as Antioch and Damascus. Ostensibly, the Persian army could not travel much further into Byzantine territory without confronting a centrally-assembled Eastern-Roman army. In response to the sudden loss of territory in the Eastern frontier, Heraclius organized a capable-sized army and marched to Antioch. His counter-attack however was decisively defeated in 613 outside the city of Antioch in Syria. In the set battle, the Roman positions completely collapsed and a general rout of the Byzantine army led to an easy victory for Sharbaraz and Shahin. The victory ensured the Persians would maintain the recently overran Byzantine territory.

Aftermath

Proceeding the battle, the Byzantine Empire could not offer much resistance to the invading Persians. Heraclius himself needed time to implement a number of internal initiatives to ensure he could raise the necessary funds and troops for a renewed war with the anxious Sassanid king. In the coming decade, Sassanid forces penetrated deep into enemy territory. Jerusalem and all of Palestine fell in 614 to Shahrbaraz. General Shahin made further inroads into Central and Western Anatolia [citation|last=Foss|first=Clive|title=The Persians in Asia Minor and the End of Antiquity|journal=The English Historical Review|volume=90|issue=357|year= 1975|pages=721-747] , and the Persian expansion reached its pinnacle with the successful siege of Alexandria in the spring of 619, which led to an annexation of Egypt. [citation|date=December 23, 2005|last=Mehta|first=Virasp|title=Causes of the Downfall of the Sassanian Empire|location=Palo Alto|publisher=vohuman.org|accessdate=2007-03-07]

References