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thyreos

Byzantine Battles

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Abydos, 989
Ad Decimum, 533
Ad Salices, 377
Adramyttium, 1205
Adrianople, 324
Adrianople, 378
Adrianople, 813
Adrianople, 1254
Adrianople, 1369
Ajnadayn, 634
Akroinos, 740
Aleppo, 637
Aleppo, 962
Aleppo, 969
Alexandretta, 971
Altava, 578
Alexandria, 641
Amida, 502-503
Amida, 359
Amida, 973
Amorium, 838
Anchialus, 708
Anchialus, 763
Anchialus, 917
Andrassus, 960
Ani, 1064
Anthidon, 634
Antioch, 540
Antioch, 611
Antioch, 969
Antioch on Meander, 1211
Anzen, 838
Apadna, 503
Apamea, 998
Apros, 1305
Apulia, 1155
Aquae Saravenae, 979
Araxes, 589
Arcadiopolis, 970
Arcadiopolis, 1194
Ariminum, 538
Arzamon, 586
Attalia, 1207
Aurasium, 540
Auximus, 539
Azaz, 1030
Babylon, Egypt, 640
Balathista, 1014
Bapheus, 1302
Bargylus, 634
Bari, 1068-1071
Bathys Ryax, 872
Berat, 1281
Veroï, 1122
Balarathos, 591
Bar, 1042
Berzitia, 774
Bitola, 1015
Ganzaka, 591
Bosporus, 1352
Boulgarophygon, 896
Bourgaon, 535
Brindisi, 1156
Brocade, 634
Bursa, 1317-1326
Busta Gallorum, 552
Calavrye, 1079
Callinicum, 531
Campus Ardiensis, 316
Cannae, 1018
Cape Bon, 468
Carthage, 468
Carthage, 698
Cephalonia, 880
Kefalonia, 880
Lipares, 880
Stelai, 880
Castrogiovanni, 859
Chariopolis, 1051
Chersonesus, 447
Chrysopolis, 324
Cibalae, 316
Cillium, 544
Constantinople, 626
Constantinople, 674-678
Constantinople, 717-718
Constantinople, 941
Constantinople, 1047
Constantinople, 1187
Constantinople, 1204
Constantinople, 1235
Constantinople, 1260
Constantinople, 1261
Constantinople, 1422
Constantinople, 1453
Cotyaeum, 492
Crasus, 804
Crete, 824
Crete, 828
Crete, 961
Ctesiphon, 363
Damascus, 634
Damietta, 853
Dara, 530
Dara, 573
Dathin, 634
Dazimon, 838
Demetrias, 1274
Demotika, 1352
Devina, 1279
Diakene, 1050
Diampoli, 1049
Didymoteichon, 1352
Dimitritsi, 1185
Dorostalon, 971
Dranginai, 1040
Dyrrachium, 1018
Dyrrachium, 1081
Caesarea, 1073
Echinades, 1427
Edessa, 1031
Ekato Vounoi, 1050
Emessa, 635-636
Faventia, 542
Fields of Cato, 548
Firaz, 634
Frigidus, 394
Gallipoli, 1354
Gallipoli, 1366
Hades, 1057
Heliopolis, 640
Hellespont, 324
Heraclea, 806
Hieromyax, 636
Hyelion - Leimocheir,1177
Iron Bridge, 637
Ieromyax, 636
Jerusalem, 614
Jerusalem, 637
Kaisareia, 1073
Kalavrye, 1079
Kapetron, 1049
Katasyrtai, 917
Kleidion, 1014
Klokotnitsa, 1230
Kopidnadon, 788
Koundouros, 1205
Krasos, 804
Lalakaon, 863
Larissa, 1084
Lemnos, 1025
Levounion, 1091
Makryplagi, 1264
Mammes, 534
Manzikert, 1071
Maogamalcha, 363
Maranga, 363
Marcellae, 756
Marcellae, 792
Marcianopolis, 377
Mardia, 316
Marj-ud-Deebaj, 634
Marta, 547
Masts, 655
Martyropolis, 588
Mavropotamos, 844
Mediolanum, 539
Melanthius, 559
Melantias, 559
Melitene, 576
Membresa, 536
Mercurii Promontorium, 468
Messina, 843
Milano, 539
Milvian Bridge, 312
Mons Seleucus, 353
Monte Siricolo, 1041
Montepeloso, 1041
Montemaggiore, 1041
Morava, 1191
Mount Lactarius, 553
Mucellium, 542
Mursa Major, 351
Mutah, 629
Myriokephalon, 1176
Naples, 536
Neopatras, 1274
Nicaea, 1077
Nicaea, 1097
Nicaea, 1328-1331
Nicomedia, 782
Nicomedia, 1337
Nikiou, 646
Nineveh, 627
Nisibis, 338
Nisibis, 350
Noviodunum, 369
Olivento, 1041
Ongal, 680
Ophlimos, 622
Orontes, 994
Osimo, 539
Ostrovo, 1043
Palakazio, 1021
Palermo, 830-831
Pancalia, 978
Pegae, 922
Pelacanon, 1329
Pelagonia, 1259
Petra, 549
Petra, 551
Petroe, 1057
Perkri, 1034
Pharsalus, 1277
Philadelphia, 1390
Philomelion, 1117
Phoenix, 655
Pirisabora, 363
Pliska, 811
Poimanenon, 1224
Poson, 863
Preslava, 1053
Prinitza, 1263
Prusa, 1326
Rhodes, 1249
Rhodes, 1309
Rhyndacus, 1211
Rimini, 538
Rishki Pass, 759
Rome, 537-538
Rome, 545 - 546
Rometta, 964
Rometta, 1038
Rousokastro, 1332
Rus Raid, 860
Rus Raid, 941
Rus Raid, 1025
Rus Raid, 1043
Samarra, 363
Sardis, 743
Satala, 530
Save, 388
Saxa Rubra, 312
Scalas Veteres, 537
Sebastia, 1070
Sebastopolis, 692
Sedica, 809
Sena Gallica, 551
Setina, 1017
Shirimni, 1021
Singara, 344
Sirmium, 441
Sirmium, 580-582
Sirmium, 1167
Siscia, 388
Skafida, 1304
Solachon, 586
Spercheios, 997
Strumica, 1014
Strymon, 1185
Sufetula, 647
Svindax, 1022
Syllaeum, 677
Syracuse, 827-828
Syracuse, 877-878
Taginae, 552
Taormina, 902
Tarsus, 965
Thacia, 545
Thannourios, 528
Thasos, 829
Thessalonica, 586
Thessalonica, 615
Thessalonica, 617
Thessalonica, 676-678
Thessalonica, 904
Thessalonica, 995
Thessalonica, 1014
Thessalonica, 1040
Thessalonica, 1185
Thessalonica, 1224
Thessalonica, 1264
Thessalonica, 1430
Thomas the Slav, 821-823
Tornikios, 1047
Trajan’s Gate, 986
Tricameron, 533
Troina, 1040
Tryavna, 1190
Utus, 447
Vasiliki Livada, 1050
Veregava, 759
Versinikia, 813
Vescera, 682
Vesuvius, 553
Vid, 447
Viminacium, 599
Volturnus, 554
Wadi al-Arabah, 634
Yarmuk, 636
Zombos, 1074
Zygos pass, 1053
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  15 th   century

Aspis

Siege of Constantinople

year:

626

29 Jun-10 Aug 626
A historical and unsuccessful siege by Avars and Persians ★ ★ ★ ★
enemy:
Avars, Persians
location:
Constantinople
 accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type:
Siege
war:
Wars against Avars & Slavs
modern country:
Turkey
  The Byzantines(emperor:  Heraclius) The Enemies
Commander: Patriarch Sergius, Magister Bonus Kaghan of Avars (unknown), Shahrbaraz
Forces: 12,000 80,000 Avars + unknown number of Persians
Losses:

Background story:
On March 25, 624, Emperor Heraclius left Constantinople on a new campaign, entrusting the city to Patriarch Sergius and magister Bonus as regents of his son Constantine. He assembled his forces in Bithynia, and launched a new counter-offensive against the Sassanid Persians, which took on the character of a holy war .
The Avars, in the meantime, together with Slavs and other northern tribes (Bulgars, Gepids etc.), took advantage of the situation to overrun the Balkans.
The Persian king Hosroes II did not remain inactive and prepared his defense. In a clever distraction move, he came to terms with the Avar khagan to take joint action against the Byzantine capital.
It should be noted that as early as 611 the Persians had managed to install a military outpost and had a constant presence in Chalcedon, opposite Constantinople, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.

The Battle:
Constantinople
the siege of 626 in the Chronicle of C. Manasses
In May 626, the Avars, aided by Slavic tribes, mainly Croats and Serbs, first besieged Thessaloniki for 33 days and when they failed, turned to Constantinople where they arrived on June 29. At about the same time, a Persian army under Shahrbaraz arrived from Asia Minor and encamped at Chalcedon.
The Persian army was on the Asian side of the city, while the Avars with the Slavs, numbering 80,000, were on the European side (where they destroyed the Valens’ aqueduct). The Byzantine navy retained control of the Bosphorus, and this proved vital, as the Persians could not send troops or siege engines to the European side to help their allies. In addition, the advantage of the synergy of the attackers was neutralized and the effectiveness of the siege was reduced, because the Persians had high know-how and experience in sieges and if they could participate more actively, they would cause serious problems. Thus the siege was essentially carried out by the Avars, with the Persians simply participating in the blockade from the east and at times attempting to intervene without much success.
In the meantime, emperor Heraclius due to his campaign deep im Mesopotamia was not able to help, but he sent a small part of his army back, mainly to raise the morale of the besieged. The defenders in Constantinople numbered about 12,000 men, mostly cavalry.

The siege engines of the Avars took position in front of the walls on June 30, and only then the Byzantines realized that they were under siege. They tried to bribe the kaghan, but he definitely wanted the surrender of Constantinople underestimating, apparently, the strength of its defense.
Despite the constant attacks and the hits on the walls by catapult shots for a month, morale remained high within the walls, mainly due to Patriarch Sergius who with religious zeal was constantly on the walls with the image of the Virgin Mary and encouraged the defenders with the assurance that the Byzantines were under divine protection as they fought against pagans.
On August 6, the Avars attacked a vulnerable point in the walls and managed to enter and occupy the church of Panagia at Vlachernae, where they remained, waiting for the Slavic attack from the sea with dugboats, which was planned to take place the next day. But Byzantine spies learned the signal of the Slavic attack, which was a fire from a specific place, called “Pteron”. Bonus ordered fires to be lit at Pteron, which provoked the untimely attack of the Slavic boats and the Byzantines decimated them. The same fate befell boats with Persian soldiers from Chalcedon, which were sunk by the Byzantine navy. Around 4,000 Persians lost their lives.
Thus, August 7 was a decisive day of the siege as the Byzantines repulsed a major attack and inflicted heavy losses on the enemies, who at this point must have realized that it was not easy to take the city.
In the meantime, the news reached that the brother of Heraclius, Theodoros, defeated the Persian general Sahin in Asia Minor and was heading to Constantinople. This excited the defenders who made an exit outside the walls, surprising the Avars who suffered gurther casualties. Discouraged by these developments, the Avar leader, suffering from a lack of supplies as well, was forced to end the siege and move west. The Persian general Shahrbaraz no longer had a reason to stay in Chalcedon and, fearing not to be attacked by Theodore, he left, humiliated by the complete failure of the ambitious attack on the Byzantine capital.

The crucial factors that contributed to the victory in one of the greatest sieges in world history were the bad preparation and lack of supplies for both attacking troops, the strength of the city walls and the Byzantine naval supremacy, which prevented the Persian forces. to actually assist in the siege and to combine effectively with the Avars.

Noteworthy:
The salvation of the city that took on triumphant proportions was attributed by the Byzantines to the Virgin Mary. Patriarch Sergius, the young Konstantinos, with all his officials and the people filled the Church of the Theotokos at Vlachernae on the Golden Horn and they prayed all night singing praises to the Virgin Mary without sitting. Hence the title of the Hymn "Akathistos", in Greek meaning “not seated”. It was one of the most beautiful moments in the history of Byzantium.

Aftermath:
Apart from the great value of the salvation of the capital, the defeat was decisive for both the Avars and the Persians. After the defeat, the power and prestige of the Avars declined, and their khanate disappeared in 3 decades.
The Persians, who had occupied a large part of their army to no avail, failed to prevent Heraclius from penetrating victoriously into their territory, while the morale of the Byzantines was further strengthened.