Byzantine Battles: Sack of Pirisabora

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4 th century

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5 th century

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6 th century

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7 th century

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8 th century

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9 th century

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12 th century

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14 th century

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15 th century

Sack of Pirisabora	year: 363 27-29 April 363
The Romans captured and destroyed the city of Pirisabora	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Sassanid Persians	location: Pirisabora, modern Anbar, central Iraq	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: City Capture	war: Later Roman-Persian Wars	modern country: Iraq

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Julian the Apostate)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Emperor Julian	Mamersides
Forces:	65,000	2,500 (incl. armed civilians)
Losses:

Background story:

In response to earlier attacks on Roman Mesopotamia by Shapur II of Sassanid Persia, Emperor Julian decided to deal with the Persian threat.
On 5 March 363, despite a series of omens against the campaign, Julian departed from Antioch with a large army of 80,000–95,000 men and headed north toward the Euphrates. In Haran (Karrai) of Mesopotamia a force of 30,000 men, led by Procopius and Sebastian, was detached and headed to Armenia to help the local rulers against Shapur.
The rest of the army, after crossing the Euphrates near Hierapolis, moved for a while eastward. After feigning a march further eastward, Julian's army turned suddenly south.

The Battle:

Julian the Apostate

Marching deep into Persian territory, Julian besieged Pirisabora (Anbar) which guarded the vital canal link from the Euphrates to Ctesiphon on the Tigris. The Sassanidian garrison fought fiercely, but Roman siege machines smashed the walls and the Roman army entered.
The governor Mamersides and the garrison retired to an inner citadel while the enemy commenced the sack of the city, but soon were brought to surrender.
The city was razed to the ground.

Noteworthy:

Julian later saw the bodies of Mamersides's kinsmen near Seleucia. They were apparently killed by the Sasanians in revenge for Mamersides's surrender

Aftermath:

This was the first major success in Julian’s campaign. The spoils of the city were distributed by Julian to the army. Following this victory, the Roman army marched towards Ctesiphon, sacking and burning Bithra, Diacira and Ozogardana in the process.