Siege of Petra (550–551)
Battle during the Roman–Persian Wars / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The siege of Petra was fought in 550 AD, between the Byzantines (East Romans) under general Bessas, and the Sasanian Persian garrison of Petra in the buffer state of Lazica. The strategic fortress had previously been held by the Byzantines before it was seized in 541 by the Sasanian king Khosrow I, and his Lazi allies. This conquest gave the Sassanian Empire access to the Black Sea and marked the beginning of the Lazic War. After a failed attempt to recapture Petra in 549, the Byzantine emperor Justinian I sent an army under Bessas to retake the fortress. The Byzantine historian Procopius described the resulting siege in vivid detail.
Siege of Petra | |||||||
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Part of the Lazic War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Byzantine Empire Sabirs Lazica | Sasanian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Bessas (WIA) | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
6,000 | 2,300 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Most of the force killed or wounded |
Entire force
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The initial mining operations that were undertaken by the besiegers against the fort walls were ineffective. Based on advice from the Sabirs, their nomadic allies, the Byzantines constructed a type of lightweight battering ram that could be deployed on the sloped plain leading to the walls. The defenders responded by throwing incendiary bombs; however, a part of the wall was successfully damaged in the attempt. Bessas and his men attempted to scale the weakened wall twice, resulting in fierce fighting and heavy casualties. A second part of the wall also collapsed, causing both sides to divide their men. The Byzantines gained the advantage due to their numeric superiority. During the fighting, the wooden tower from which the defenders were frantically throwing their bombs accidentally caught on fire, causing the Sasanian defense to collapse. The wounded were captured; however, the remainder preferred to fight to the death rather than surrender, and retreated to the high citadel, which the Byzantines torched. In the end, casualties were high, with virtually all men on both sides either killed or wounded. After the victory, Bessas demolished the fort walls. A large Sasanian relief force failed to arrive in time and instead shifted its focus to action elsewhere in Lazica. Bessas retreated westward and avoided further military action.