Byzantine Battles: Battle at Sifrion

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15 th century

Battle at Sifrion	year: 503 August 503
A defeat of the Byzantine army by the Persians	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Sassanid Persians	location: At the village of Sifrion close to a fortress named Apadana(?) or Ashparin(?); the exact location is not known but it was in the area of Amida (Diyarbakir)	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: Surprise Attack	war: Anastasian War [502-506]	modern country: Turkey

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Anastasius I)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Patricius & Hypatius	Shah Kavadh I
Forces:	Unknown	Unknown
Losses:

Background story:

Emperor Anastasios, determined to recover Mesopotamia from Shah Kawad, dispatched a large army from Thrace under Flavius Patricius, Areobindus, and his own nephew Hypatius.
Patricius and Hypatius with 40,000 men laid siege to Amida, while Areobindus encamped near Daras to stop a new invasion but, when the enemy, reinforced by Arabs and Ephthalites (“White Huns” from Central Asia), prepared to attack, Areobindus retreated to Edessa and left the rest of the army uncovered.

The Battle:

Aerobindus

Patricius and Hypatius on hearing of Areobindus’ flight raised the siege of Amida and marched to meet the Persians. On their way, they met a force of 800 Ephtalites and killed them all. After this, the army stopped to eat by a river near the village Sifrion.
The Persians under Kawad himself found them there while eating and unarmed. The Byzantines were routed. The two generals fled to Samosata.
Kawad’s attempts to take after this Constantina, Edessa, and Carrhae by assault were unsuccessful.

Aftermath:

Ypatius was recalled, but Patrikius and Aerovindus spent the winter in the area (in Samosata and Edessa respectively). The following year, the two generals (rather independent of each other) resumed operations against the Persians. Patrikios besieged Amida again, and destroyed part of the walls, but could not capture it.
However, it seems that their activity was finally crowned with success, since in 505 Kawad agreed to make peace with the Byzantines (who had to pay a tribute).

Byzantine Battles

Battle at Sifrion

503