Win/Loss Records of the Persian and Roman Armies in the Persian Wars

244 Appendix 2

Appendix 2 Win/Loss Records of the Persian and Roman Armies in the Persian Wars

Catalogue of Persian Wars Battles and Sieges Ephthalite/Persian – 1.4.1–16; battle; Ephthalites win (Persians lose) Amida – 1.7.1–35; siege; Persians win (Romans, in defence, lose) Amida – 1.9.1–20; siege; Romans take it back (Persians, in defence, lose) – skirmish too Dara – 1.13.1–1.14.55; battle; Romans win (Persians lose) Satala – 1.15.9–17; battle; Romans win (Persians lose) Callinicum – 1.18.1–56; battle; Persians win (Romans lose) Martyropolis – 1.21.1–28; siege; Persians give up siege (Kavadh’s death – Romans, in defence, wins) Oinochalakon – 2.3.15–27; battle; Armenians win (Romans lose) Sura – 2.5.8–27; siege; Persians win (Romans, in defence, lose) Sergiopolis – 2.5.28–33; near-siege; Persians win – Khusro shows kindness to city because of love for a woman (Romans, in defence, lose – many of the residents, transferred to Sergiopolis, died anyway) Antioch – 2.8.1–2.10.24; siege; Persians win (Romans, in defence, lose) Edessa – 2.12.6–34; siege; Romans, in defence, win (Persians lose – large digression on Abgar which takes up the bulk of the discussion of this siege; Khusro ends up with- drawing due to illness, though he does manage to get some money from the inhabitants) Dara – 2.13.16–29; siege; Romans, in defence, win (Persians fail, though they do accept money from the Romans) Petra – 2.17.3–28; siege; Persians win (force Romans, in defence, to capitulate in this case rather than storm city) Nisibis – 2.18.1–26; battle (though outside a city); difficult to say who was the victor – Persians initially get the advantage against Peter and his men until Belisarius arrives and saves the day; ultimately the Persians retreat to the city and so the Romans must get credited with the victory, even if it was a narrow one Sisauranon – 2.19.1–25; siege; Romans win (Persians, in defence, lose) Sergiopolis – 2.20.1–16; siege; Persians run out of water and are forced to abandon the siege (Romans, in defence, win – only just) Anglon – 2.25.10–35; battle; Persians win (Romans lose) Edessa – 2.26.1–2.27.46; siege; Romans, in defence, win (Persians lose – still enact a payment – the odd skirmish in this siege)

Petra et al. – 2.29.10–2.30.11; siege; Persians, in defence, win (Romans are on the verge of victory, but fail to get the desired orders to proceed with the capture of the city and then get worn down in an engagement with additional Persian forces who suc- cessfully hold a Thermopylae-like stand; ultimately they withdraw, even if the Tzani stay behind, at least for a while) Phasis River 2.30.34–48; battle; Romans win (Persians lose)

Persian Record Battles:1 2–5 Sieges:2 7–6 Overall: 9–11

Roman Record Battles: 4–3 Sieges: 6–7 Overall: 10–10

Persian Trajectory L, W, L, L, L, W, L, W, W, W, L, L, W, L, L, L, W, L, W, L

Roman Trajectory L, W, W, W, L, W, L, L, L, L, W, W, L, W, W, W, L, W, L, W

Warfare in the Persian Wars – the Pattern: Both the Persians and Romans start off the Persians Wars with defeats; this is how the Persians furnish evidence, if any was needed, that the Romans were the superior force. The overall records of the two sides are similar, with the Romans enjoying a slight advantage. With regard to battles, the Romans have a slightly better record than the Persians, and with sieges vice versa. Staying with sieges, it should be noted, however, that Roman victories in a couple of circumstances come from external forces (health of the Persian king) and that they are by and large on the defensive: it is the Persians attacking their cities rather than the other way around, even if the record of the Romans, when they are on the offensive, is respectable (2–1).

1 The reason for the discrepancy in the battle records of Persians and Romans is that each side was engaged in a battle in which the other was not. 2 Note that of the sieges involving both the Romans and Persians 10 are offensive operations on the part of the latter: they are the ones besieging the city. What is more, on two occasions the Persians withdraw solely (or so Procopius) due to the health of their king (Kavadh’s death at Martyropolis; Khusro’s health at Edessa).